I have spent every Wednesday for the past four years here with you, dear reader.

There have been a total of 209 entries that I have written during that time.

Very recently here on the “Right as Rain” column, I wrote about how I see life happening in these little four-to-five year chapters. Well, this most recent four-year life cycle of mine has been the most transformative chapter in my entire 40 years of living.

And you’ve been with me for every bit of that chapter.

That chapter has included the birth of not one, but two children. My marriage. The death of my beloved brother. The reuniting with another. The start of a new business. My first speaking engagement. My first book. Snow days and cruise ships. Float tanks and fasting. Enduring hurricanes. Meeting heroes. Telling stories for health and happiness. Life lessons learned the hard way and little bits of wisdom. Living our best lives and connecting with our communities.

But just as I wrote in that column a few weeks ago, this chapter is now coming to an end.

And a new one begins.

I am not the same person I was in 2018. I’m sure you aren’t either.

I’ve been through some of the highest highs and lowest lows and they both have led me to feeling the most comfortable and confident in my own identity and finally understanding my path. My life and work has purpose and though I struggle still every single day, I am fulfilled.

I now know that darkness is not something we can escape, but rather something that will always be a part of our lives.

I now know that the darkness in our lives doesn’t actually exist, but rather the absence of our light.

I now know that even the tiniest light within us cannot be extinguished by the deepest darkness.

I now know that, just like our favorite stories, we may not always achieve our physical goals throughout our journeys. But if we allow ourselves to learn, to transform, and to grow through those journeys, then even if we don’t accomplish our goals, everything is gonna be alright.

You always hear people say, “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” Well, that’s true in my opinion, but only if you let that journey change you. To resist that change is to resist the laws of the universe, which are constantly in flux. But to embrace it connects you to the universe in a permanent way and prepares you for the next, and ultimate, transition.

But more importantly, you show others who you seek to impact (and those you don’t know you do) how to allow themselves to be adaptable and willing to change, too.

I’ve tried every Wednesday to share the lessons I’ve learned the hard way, the mistakes I’ve made and a few achievements I’ve accomplished in order to open up a space where you feel comfortable sharing your story, too.

Because we all need each other to do this.

And in order to help each other, we have to be willing to open our hearts and share our stories.

My ask of you, if I’ve earned it at all, is to seek out who you are meant to serve through your own unique perspective of the world and do the same.

Life is like summiting a mountain. There is more than one path to the top and you have to determine which is right for you. And after you have found the one that fits, you have the choice to reach back and offer a helping hand to someone struggling where you once did.

I hope you choose to do so.

It seems to me that we are all on this quest to find the meaning of life.

The best I can come up with is that the meaning of life is to find and pursue a life of meaning. And we do that by continuing to learn and grow as humans, serving people, and leaving an impact on those people we serve.

Because like little ripples in the sea, each little impact left contributes to an overall change.

And that is how we impact the world.

Thank you, 97.9 The Hill WCHL and Chapelboro.com, for allowing me the space to make my little ripple.

Rain Bennett is a two-time Emmy-nominated filmmaker, writer, and competitive storyteller with over a decade of experience producing documentary films that focus on health and wellness. His mission is simple: to make the world happier and healthier by sharing stories of change.

You can read the rest of “Right as Rain” here, and check back every Wednesday on Chapelboro for a new column! 

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