Manifest Positivity

When something negative happens you have three choices. You can let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you.

It Strengthened Me.

You have to walk through the fire of grief. Through this you are created, inner strength, mental toughness, survival, and an outlook on life that nobody else can understand unless they've walked in your shoes. Positivity is my survival.

Can you believe I would never let myself cry? After deciding to walk through the fire of grief, I knew that needed to change. So I cried. It was as if each tear gave me strength. And with that strength, I blossomed.

My life was moving forward and I was choosing how. It felt wonderful. Hard. But wonderful. Strength was in the healing. An unfinished work in progress, peeling back the layers to view a raw version of self, putting the pieces back together and healing from the inside out. Be defined by how you choose to deal with the truth, rather than a contribution of ugly thoughts and negative behavior. The choice is yours, break the pattern, find your strength within.

I don’t regret my childhood experience. I don’t regret how it temporarily destroyed me either. Because without that destruction, I would have no idea today of how strong I truly am. I will survive any storm.

Sometimes a breakdown can be the best thing to happen to a person. Whether you are letting your something negative define you, destroy you, or strengthen you, remember this, pursue healing.

Rather than running away from the pain, feel it. If you’ve hit rock bottom, acknowledge it. If your something negative defines you, consider defining yourself as someone in healing instead.

No matter what season you’re in, it’s never over until it’s over. You will become a stronger and better you than yesterday because of it.

Lost and Found

You are not meant to live anyone else’s life. 

Why would you want to anyway when you can live your very own? This is what will impact the world in a way that no other can. Happiness is not something we finally reach one day, it is something that becomes a part of every day or none at all. Happiness not experienced today does not mean more happiness tomorrow.

Once you’ve found your path, the superficial destination the world defaults to becomes unimportant. Comparison disappears and all of a sudden it’s the travel itself that becomes meaningful. No longer are you trying to get somewhere. You’re there. Simple as that. You’re there today and you’ll be there tomorrow.

That’s happiness.

‘Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.’ ~ Henry David Thoreau

We all have a dream. It might be explicitly defined or just a vague idea, but most of us are so stuck in the muck of insecurity and self-doubt that we just dismiss it as unrealistic or too difficult to pursue.

We become so comfortable with the life that has been planned out for us by our parents, teachers, traditions, and societal norms that we feel that it’s stupid and unsafe to risk losing it for the small hope of achieving something that is more fulfilling.

‘The policy of being too cautious is the greatest risk of all.’ ~Jawaharlal Nehru

Don’t get me wrong, taking a risk is still a risk. We can, and will, fail. Likely many times. But that is what makes it exciting. That uncertainty can be viewed negatively, or it can empower us.

Failing is what makes us grow, it makes us stronger and more resilient to the aspects of life we have no control over. Although, the fear of failure is what makes us stagnant and sad. So even though I couldn’t see the future as clearly as before, I took the plunge in hopes that in the depths of fear and failure, I would come out feeling more alive than ever before.

And I did. It took some time and some unwanted introspection, but out of the loneliness, I came out with a bright light of creativity and personal understanding. And it is only the beginning.

What it does mean is that if you feel lost, just take a deep breath and realize that being lost can be turning point of finding out who you truly are, and what you truly want to do.

I struggle today and will tomorrow, I still feel lost at times. I’ve cried and I’ve stood motionless and shocked for the life I left to make this jump. I’ve felt like a failure for the steps I’ve taken, am required to take, to start over, from the ground up. But I’m at peace with myself more and more every day.

Life is amazing. I believe we’re here to find happiness, and when we do, to share it with everyone we meet.

Don’t be afraid to lose yourself. The individual that comes out of the maze might just surprise you. Strong, courageous and mentally tough, a well-rounded, solid individual that is proud to stand before anyone. Unconquerable and invincible.