I've Been Downsized: Chapter 3

The Swamp of Sadness:

One of my favorite childhood movies was The Neverending Story, an epic adventure based on the novel by Michael Ende.

In the story, a boy named Bastian finds himself swept up in a story book, where “The Nothing” is threatening to take over the land of Fantasia. During the adventure, Bastian watches a young hero named Atreyu fight his way through unyielding obstacles and fantasy lands to save Fantasia before it disappears forever. The most challenging obstacle is The Swamp of Sadness.

Now, here’s the thing about The Swamp of Sadness- if you lose hope and allow the sadness to overpower you, you will be lost in the swamp forever. You have to keep moving, pull your feet out of the mud, and persevere beyond the sadness that is pulling you down.  Over the past two weeks, I've found myself in the swamp of sadness many times, but I’m working hard to pull my feet out of the mud and keep moving.

You must believe:

How many times have you been told to get your head out of the clouds and stop dreaming? The thing is, if we stop dreaming, then Fantasia will be lost forever. Fantasia is a magical world made up of our hopes, dreams and greatest wishes. If we stop believing in those things, they will be lost to “The Nothing” that exists when we just give up.

So, I’m pulling my feet out of The Swamp of Sadness and moving toward the next unyielding obstacle (I suppose that would be landing a job interview!).

I’m with Bastian:

It’s amazing how simple life can be through the eyes of a child. It’s even more amazing how complicated we make our lives as we grow up. Bastian was hesitant to believe the story was true- that all he had to do was believe to save Fantasia.  But, in the end, he trusted in his dreams and called out a new name for the Empress. Why? I don’t know! That’s how the story goes. He proves his belief by calling out a new name for the Empress, and Fantasia is saved. Okay, trust me, it’s an awesome movie when you’re 10-years-old!

So, my goal this week is to keep my feet moving beyond The Swamp of Sadness and believe that new adventures are on the horizon.  Thanks for saving us, Bastian!

Kristina Marsh is an experienced and accomplished marketing, communications, and business process specialist.  Want to connect?  You can reach me at klmarsh74@gmail.com.