Reality is, life can suck. Things you were excited about can fall through, disaster can strike at any moment leaving you on the ground breathless. All of the fight can be drained out of you so easily if you give in to that defeated feeling. There will even be moments that you don’t want to get out of bed and face the day ahead because nothing seems to be going right.
That’s when a critical choice must be made: either get out of bed and face all that life brings, or give in and give up.
I fully understand how tempting it is to let fear overcome you and keep you from facing reality, but no progress was ever achieved by hiding from challenges. In the midst of chaos, you must face tough realities with a brave heart. Things will go wrong, life won’t seem fair, but rallying your courage and powering through will carry you to a place of strength and success you can’t begin to imagine.
Circumstances are always temporary, despite how permanent they may feel, and sometimes it’s a good reminder that life is constantly shifting and the lows will always rise back into highs.
Strength and courage don’t come naturally or easily, it is something that must be strived for through the constant exercise of your character. Even small successes throughout the days will build up to one great wall of achievement if you just keep adding the bricks. Some days will be easier than others, but nothing is impossible if you throw every ounce of your determination into it. Life isn’t meant to be a smooth, well-paved path for us. It’s a hike filled with obstacles we must find a way around, but there’s usually a gorgeous view or waterfall awaiting us.
Find a way to channel the bravery within you, because you deserve to live a life of adventure and excitement, not one filled with fear and defeat. The difficult things tend to have a way of winding us around to the most glorious path, it just takes a bit of time and perspective to see it. Don’t allow yourself to turn around when everything before you seems like too much. You are always equipped with what you need to overcome. What lies beyond the mountain may be much greater than what lies behind you, so keep journeying onward into all that life has to offer.
Time reveals the purpose behind less than ideal circumstances, but only if you allow yourself to move forward. You weren’t meant to live life in reverse, there should always be forward motion. Steps forward always look different to people, so don’t think that because you’re not moving across the country to chase your dreams that you’re not being brave. Even waking up and deciding to try is such a brave way to face life, so be conscious of the little things and give yourself the grace you show others.
Bravery has many different faces. There are the dramatic gestures of selling all your belongings and traveling the world, but there’s also the small day-to-day things. Find what that courage looks like to you and cling to it, because everyone’s path is unique. The beautiful thing about life is no one’s is exactly the same. Courage can be seen through small acts of kindness, of just applying for a different job, or even deciding to turn a hobby you enjoy into something more serious. There is no cookie-cutter life you must aim for, it’s your personal journey of discovery, don’t run away from it.
If you’re struggling, if you’re hurting, or if you just don’t know what brave looks like anymore, I promise your silver lining is just around the corner. It might sound cliché, but it’s true that things always seem the darkest right before the ray’s peek through the clouds. Everyone has experienced the hopelessness of not being in control of their circumstances, but you are always in control of the way you face them. I won’t lie and say things won’t suck for a while, but it’s that brave effort of continuing on that will change your life.
Cling to the little successes when you have nothing else, and fight for that bravery within you.
