
Pain is compulsory, suffering is optional. Life is a series of choices and consequences. Some we are okay with, some we are not. Those we are not okay with, wreak havoc on our mental strength. Test our resolve. Tough times are not the iron or the fire; our bodies and souls are. We ignite ourselves in the most unwilling of situations. We strive to be better only when we’re pushed to believe that we are not living up to our potential. A potential only we can assess. A calculated decision only you can take. I wish the consequences were limited to just us, but they are not. They extend to everyone in contact with you. Depression, anxiety, paranoia, they all stem from insecurities that have not been addressed. More often than not, these insecurities settle over time like dust on a desk or a screen. They muddle your vision and thoughts, causing disconcerting feelings which may leave you rattled. Pull you down to the depths of your fears and nightmares.
That is where you can find yourself. A clear view of what you are. An understanding of what makes you YOU, what makes you a better person in your head and what can change your life. Repeating positive statements of reassurance to yourself, imagining yourself in the best of situations, it will change the way you look at your life now. Use your imagination as a gateway to building yourself a better platform. Create a safe space inside your head that no one can touch, but you. Do not let your ego or your compulsions blind you there. Keep repeating positive statements to yourself. Keep yourself from trampling over your own feet by retaining a sense of calm, in that nanosecond before your body responds. Urge your mind to think in ways you haven’t been able to, bring yourself back up to the shore. No matter what, remember that people’s opinions of you are colored by your choices and actions, not your words. Redeem yourself in your mind, because no can do that for you but yourself. Encourage yourself in ways you never did before. Remind yourself that you are your anchor, your wings and your fuel.