Whatever Happens, Hold Onto Hope

In case you missed it on Twitter yesterday, I was feeling pretty gloomy. The complicatedness of certain life situations finally got to me, and I was totally overwhelmed. But, some incredibly good news at the end of the day ended up turning my frown completely upside down. So, I wanted to take this opportunity to share some things I’ve learned from all of this tough stuff craziness:

• Whatever happens, hold onto hope. Even when it feels like all is lost, never allow yourself to give up completely. Even a shred of hope could end up being the empowerment you needed.
• Understand that you’re going to have overwhelming moments. That’s called dealing, and as long as it doesn’t take over your entire life, it’s okay. Allow yourself some of those moments and truly feel your emotions instead of ignoring them.
• Crying is not a sign of weakness! In my opinion, it’s a sign of strength. It’s easy (although very unhealthy) to bottle up your feelings inside and not speak a word of them. The difficult thing is to let them out, to express them fully, to just let yourself cry.  Guys, this goes for you too, no matter what “they” say.
• There is no greater feeling than relief. Embrace it and be grateful.
• Having faith in yourself is so important. It gives you the strength you need to keep on going, even through the worst of it.
• Let others be there for you. Don’t think less of yourself for asking for help. Doing so doesn’t mean you’re an inadequate person. It’s okay if you can’t handle things alone. In fact, it’s normal. Accept the support that loved ones and friends offer you.
• Recognize that there are some things you have no control over, and some times when worrying won’t do anybody any good.

Most importantly, don’t take a single second for granted. 

I hope you realize that life is a precious gift. It is beautiful and fulfilling, frustrating and exciting, but it is also unpredictable.  So, make every moment count, and don’t take anything or anyone for granted. Stop making excuses. Say things like ‘thank you,’ ‘I love you,’ ‘I appreciate your hard work,’ and ‘You mean so much to me.’ Appreciate your life and all of the wonderful, beautiful, people and things that make it all worthwhile.