What about the times when it feels like the walls are falling down around you? When you can hear the positive vocalizations of well meaning loved ones, but nothing gets in. What then? What about the times when it's not all rainbows and sunshine?
Well my friend, that's when you hang on. You learn to ride the storm. Maybe you don't feel like dancing in the rain, but you convince yourself that the sunshine on the other side of the hurricane is worth gritting your teeth and letting the hail pelt you in the face while you're in the eye of it.
I am a firm believer that everything happens in our lives for a reason. Everything. Every chance encounter, every random interaction, every single smile or tear. They are all there for a reason.
Get quiet.
Get still.
Listen.
Feel.
Be.
We all come apart at the seams when we're pressed hard enough. We all shatter and fall to the floor every once in a while. We all cry, break, and collapse. You don't have to be strong at all times. Sometimes falling apart will teach you the most important lesson. And being vulnerable enough to speak up when you can't take anymore, is one of the bravest things you can possibly do. If you need to cry, please, break out the tissues.
You can stay there as long as you want. You can live on the kitchen floor, with your cheek against the linoleum until your lights get shut off and your mail piles high at the door. It won’t un-shatter your heart, but it might be the space you need for a few moments in time. Take all the time you need, but by all means, do not live there. You can blow up an air mattress in the puddle of tears, but don’t bring your nice duvet and throw pillows with you.
Listen to the saddest songs on repeat for hours. Let your soul burst open. No one makes it to the end of the line in pristine condition. You'll break, and you'll learn. You'll make a mistake, and you'll change directions. You'll go headlong into a challenge, and you'll come out the other side, a completely different person. Wiser. Stronger. And able to make better decisions for yourself. The point of life is not to avoid pain. We must strive to learn from it. To grow.
"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." ~ Leonard Cohen
So, go ahead. Crawl into your cave of darkness. Sob until your eyes are so puffy you can no longer see through your sausage eyelids, and your chest feels completely empty. Then get really quiet, and listen.
Listen to the sound of your heart. What does it tell you? Do you hear it whispering? Do you hear it telling you to keep going? Do you hear it pleading with you to gather up all your scattered dreams, and keep moving forward? Collect all the pieces of your heart, lift with your knees, and try one more time.
Adapt. Course correct. Change lanes. Adjust goals. But KEEP. ON. GOING.
This storm is not meant to beat you. These clouds will clear away and the sunshine will warm your face again. You will feel at ease yet again. You’ll see.
Press on. Your story does not end here.
xo daphne
*Note: If you feel like you can't get through the storm alone, please reach out to get professional help. There are amazing mental health professionals who are trained to help you get through difficult times in life. Please seek help if you need it.
