We all go through pain.
Listen—I've been there. Whether it's somebody leaving, something horrible happening, or something we took for granted disappearing, pain is inescapable. In life, it's easy to give up. It's easy to react to our difficult seasons by staying in place. It's easy to stop moving forward, but let me tell you something—if you push through, I promise you a better day will come. Loss will make you feel as though there's nothing more for your life, which is why it's so important to remember the truth.
Repeat after me: "This isn't all life has to offer me."
In life, it's sometimes hard to see the big picture. When we go through hard times, we often forget two things. The first thing we forget is how far we've come, and how much we have to appreciate. The second thing we forget is that there are far better days ahead of us—just as life unexpectedly takes, it unexpectedly gives us incredible things, people, and situations. If you're going through hard times right now, this message goes out to you: This is one bad chapter, but there's more being written. There's more than heartbreak, and there's more than loss. There's more to be grateful for than you know, which is why the root cause of your suffering might not be hardship. Instead, it might be perspective.
In my own life, I've had times I felt my story was over. There have been times a person close to me left, and I felt like throwing in the towel. There have been times a situation I took for granted disappeared form my life, and I was tempted to stop moving altogether. A few words really changed my outlook, and, in turn, ended up changing my life. When I was at my lowest, I asked myself, "What if there's more to my life?" I asked myself, "What if there's a better relationship, or a better opportunity? What if there are better friends, or a better job?" At the end of the day, that was enough to keep me going—that slim chance of hope was what I needed more than anything else. Those words are what allowed me to find purpose, and those words are what ultimately kept me from giving up. Once I realized my life wasn't over, I understood that I was still in the game. I still had opportunities on the horizon, and I still had incredible people to meet. I still had a purpose to fulfill, and, as long as I could get up and start moving, I would find everything I deserved.
When you change your mindset, you set yourself up for success. Stop dwelling on what could've been—instead, focus on what can still be.
It all starts with you.
