I believe in life. I believe that it is tough, but not impossible. I believe in the power in love and the strength of one small kind act. I believe that every soul on this Earth has a voice and has a purpose. I believe that the only limitations we have in life are ones set by us in fear. I believe in you and I believe in me. But in this world I may believe in many things, but there are a few things I know for sure. I know that you are much more than what you see and believe. I know that your story is no where close to being over. I know that I will stop at nothing to make each and every person I encounter know this too. And I know that I love you.
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Recently, I have lost a few individuals who have been very close to me. Death is painful to experience alone, but who says you need to be? I found this beautiful poem by Linda Ellis, and I wanted to share it with you.
********* The Dash by Linda Ellis I read of a man who stood to speak At the funeral of a friend He referred to the dates on her tombstone From the beginning to the end He noted that first came her date of her birth And spoke the following date with tears, But he said what mattered most of all Was the dash between those years For that dash represents all the time That she spent alive on earth. And now only those who loved her Know what that little line is worth. For it matters not how much we own; The cars, the house, the cash, What matters is how we live and love And how we spend our dash. So think about this long and hard. Are there things you’d like to change? For you never know how much time is left, That can still be rearranged. If we could just slow down enough To consider what’s true and real And always try to understand The way other people feel. And be less quick to anger, And show appreciation more And love the people in our lives Like we’ve never loved before. If we treat each other with respect, And more often wear a smile Remembering that this special dash Might only last a little while. So, when your eulogy is being read With your life’s actions to rehash Would you be proud of the things they say About how you spent your dash? (© 1996 All Rights Reserved, Linda Ellis) We have a tendency of going towards what is comfortable to us and what is familiar; it is human nature. But, i challenge you: 2017 is a new year. Dare to experience the new and embrace change full heartedly. Do not hover around what is familiar to you. What may feel comfortable to you may not be the best for you. Look at all of your options and experiment. Go after that new job. Move around or dare to settle down. Travel and try new things. Dare to open your heart to friendships and deeper relationships. Talk to strangers. You never know who you will meet.
I dare you to live. I know it sounds like a dumb request, but it is harder than it seems. Time and pain go hand in hand. Do not be embarrassed nor angry nor upset when pain lingers around you more than you expected. You cannot force pain to fade away. It does not disappear. It is natural to endure pain for extented periods of time especially losing loved ones and other traumatic events. DO not expect pain to magically disappear after death, losing a job, watching the love of your life walk away, being abandoned by your best friend, or any other experience. It can take months. Or even years. And that is okay. Do not be embarrassed, but most importantly, do not be blinded by the pain.
Pain takes time to pass, but it will pass. I promise. Pain my linger, but you don't have to. Take this time to rebuild and to grow from the experience(s). A good friend once told me about good karma. There may be a million and one things dragging you down at the moment, but one day it will turn around. Good things are coming your way. Keep your head up and your spirit, because you may miss them looking down at your feet feeling bad for yourself. This is written for any individual who needs to hear it, but it is specially dedicated to an old friend named Tyler.
*************** I hope you can finally make peace with yourself in 2017. I hope that you will learn to love again to your full ability like you used to years ago. I hope you will stop chasing the "easy" and start fighting for the "worth it". I hope you know that the "easy" is never worth it. I hope you step out of the drama and stop looking for it. I hope you put the electronics away and experience the world around you. I hope you stop sweating the small stuff, but also see that the little things are what matter most. I hope you start being truthful with yourself. Tell yourself what you want and do not, what you need and do not, what you can live without and cannot. I hope you put yourslf first, but stop being so damn selfish. Love to your fullest. Live to your fullest. I hope you open your eyes to see that you have grown so much, but your growth does not stop here. I hope you see those who care about you and those who do not. I hope you learn to not be used and learn how to not use others as well. I hope you buckle down and take your future seriously. I hope you also take those seriously who want to be a part of it. I hope you open up. I hope you keep your sarcastic jokes, but lose your tendency of rude jabs. I hope you get over this "whatever" attitude. I hope you give your all to those who deserve it, and I hope you will be able to see who does not dserve it. I hope you give as much as you take. I hope you let go of the pain from those who hurt and wronged you. I hope you learn that pain cannot change you, it is you who makes the change in reaction. I hope you come to terms with all that has hapened to you in the past: love, death, loss. I hope you grow from it. I hope that you remember that forgiveness is stronger than you believe. And I hope you are taking into consideration all that I am saying. Most importantly, i hope you find happiness, and i mean true happiness in 2017. Peace to you. ************ Note from Author: If you take this as a love note: you're reading it wrong. If you take this as a rude "F you" note: you're reading this wrong. If you are reading this wrong and don't believe my statements: you don't know my writing style or personality and you should read some of my other pieces to understand my inspiration for writing in the first place. Love Always. Sometimes, life getts too heavy for us to carry on our shoulders. It is okay to let out your pain. Scream on the top of your lungs. Cry until you cannot cry anymore. Rlease all the negativ feelings that try to plague your mind and body. Only then will you be able to over come and grow from it.
Love Always. If anxiety was a person, they would be a bitch. They would follow me around day after day. They would shake me awake at night and tell me about all the possible negative outcomes of leaving my bed in the morning. They would make me doubt every decision, varying from what I wear to whether to say hello in the hallway or not. They would make me worry about not being liked, worry about being lied to, worried about not being worthy of spending time with others. They would remind me that my zipper may be down, that I may never see some person again, that I may never wake up in the morning. They would make me only believe them. They would put a plague of negative thoughts into my head, including worthlessness, loneliness, and fear. They would make me believe I cannot do anything right. They would make me believe that being surrounded by others is dangerous, but so is being alone. They would make me believe there is no escape from them.
If anxiety was a person, I would believe their every lie, just like I do now. I would believe that they are the only constant in my life. I would believe they were my friend, that they are all I have. I would believe depression was my friend as well. But, maybe one day I would see through the fog. Maybe one day I would see that I am better than anxiety, and depression, and fear. Maybe one day I will separate myself from them and run to love. Maybe one day. Love Always. Life is constantly changing. People are constantly leaving. Opportunities are constantly coming and going. Souls die. Love is taken and given. But there is only one constant in your life: you. Nothing can or will ever be able to change that. I'll say it again. The only constant in your life is you. From the day you are born until the day you die. We often forget that. We go over and beyond to please others and make them want to be a part of our lives. As time goes on, we learn that life is forever changing and whatever or whoever are meant to be in our lives stick around. We cannot force what is not supposed to be. It is one of the hardest lessons we learn in life, but the faster we learn, the easier we can overcome the pain and grow from it.
But, it is okay. If you have lost someone, whether the walked away or have passed, whether an opportunity appears or disappears, or whether life throws a weight on your shoulder, you will always remain constant. Focus on you and never stop growing. Never stop loving yourself. Never forget your worth and what you deserve. You deserve to feel important and loved. And if you are being deprived of what you deserve, you need to walk away. It is okay to stand up for you. You are you, and there is only one of you. Remember that. You are one of a kind. There is only one of you. And you deserve the world and more. Love Always. |
Always with Love ❤
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