Through worries and stresses of life- school, family, friends, and my own mind, I have been blessed with the knowledge that I can do whatever I set my mind to. Though it was not an easy journey to come to this place.
Strength is found after much perseverance through heavy and sometimes troubling twists and turns on this road we call life. Maybe your life is not where you wish it was, maybe you feel like your life is too hard. Don't give up on whatever it is that you believe in. Giving up on your beliefs is like throwing your life jacket off when you are stuck in the middle of the ocean. It is much harder to stay alive when you believe in nothing.
For me, I had to decide if my belief in myself was strong enough to overcome a recent challenge. At first, I wasn't. I felt very low and lost that I did not know how to pick myself back up, nor did I have the desire to. After a couple hours/days of negative thinking and a river I created from my tears, I realized "I have to move on". I have heard this riddle and find it to be very fitting- What do you do when you find yourself in a hole with no ladder and no way to get out?
You must stop digging.
This fits who I am so well. Wallowing was not getting me anywhere but further and further in a hole of desperation and isolation. I was not letting those who were hearing me give me a ladder, I had to stop digging to get out and ask for help, and reflect in a constructive way to get myself out a predicament that was partially (mostly) self inflicted.
Most of this strength I have found comes to me through multiple places. I find strength through my family, my friends, conversations with good people who genuinely care, uplifting quotes, and definitely my faith in a God and His son, my Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ. Though the ones listed are very important to me, I get much strength from people I do not know, through their powerful words in music. The reason I bring this up is 1) Music is something that people can all relate to if they want and 2) for the strength that I find in a bizarre song by Prince. I know you may now think that I am crazy but at the beginning of his song it is powerful and everything that I am trying to express in this blog is said simply by him:
Let's Go Crazy- Prince
Dearly beloved
We are gathered here today
to get through this thing called life
Electric word life
It means forever and that's a mighty long time
But I'm here to tell you
There's something else
The afterworld
A world of never ending happiness
You can always see the sun, day or night
So when you call up that shrink in Beverly Hills
You know the one - Dr Everything'll Be Alright
Instead of asking him how much of your time is left
Ask him how much of your mind, baby
Cause in this life
Things are much harder than in the afterworld
In this life
You're on your own
And if the elevator tries to bring you down
Go crazy - punch a higher floor
The rest of the song is quite an upbeat tune and makes me smile. Give it a listen the next time you don't feel like you have strength to stop digging. We have the ability to choose what will rock us and what will make us stronger. Though at first you may feel weak, don't give up. Persevere in whatever it is you believe in and you will make it through.
