Be Strong!

I saw this post on my Facebook newsfeed and I have a few things to say about it. 

I know these feelings very well, and I'm sure a lot of people do. But the thing that we have to realize when we're thrown in a terrible situation is that we are going to feel this way regardless. Even when you're trying really hard just to be happy there are going to be times when you can't stop yourself from feeling down, and that's totally normally and it's okay. Most of the time when we're in a bad situation our friends or family or peers will just tell us to get out of it. Sometimes, it's not that easy and you really are stuck, at least temporarily anyway. But there are a few things we need to realize: 

1) It's okay to ask for help, if someone is really truly a good person they will help you and asking for help doesn't make you a needy or a bad person, it makes you human. I know I have some issues with asking for help, I'd rather do things on my own. It's not that I don't want or need help, I just simply don't like asking people for things. So, I understand that other people probably feel this way too but things will move a lot faster and go a lot smoother if you take someone's hand when they reach out to you. 

2) It's okay to miss people or things, it's part of human nature. People do not like change, they like knowing everything and having routines that they follow so when something changes we're left feeling like we're lost and we wish we could just go back to when you were aware of how everything worked and when you were able to predict how things were going to go for the most part. But, there's a reason why we are no longer where we were and to miss things for too long can get out of hand. It's okay to remember the past but do not dwell on it. 

3) Don't just dream of a life you never think you'll have. If you figure out exactly what you want the next step is to figure out how to get there. It may seem impossible at first but all you need to do is create a series of goals for yourself. Work backwards. Figure out your long term goals (5+ years from now) first and then create mid-term goals (2-5 years) to help you get to your long term ones and then lastly, create short-term (days - 2 years) to help you get to the mid term ones. By working backwards you're ensure that you're following a path to get you exactly where you want to go. Be very specific and keep your dream in your head all the time, and constantly work for it, and you will achieve it. Nothing is impossible unless you tell yourself it is. 

4) If you're wishing you want to start all over again then do it. Nothing is stopping you from starting a new life, creating a new you with new ways of seeing things, handling things and feeling. Sometimes we're torn down completely, and this is a perfect time to rebuild and become an even better person. 

5) I know that when you feel so terrible you wonder why these things are happening and wonder what you did to deserve something so bad. You don't deserve to feel terrible but if you think about it, we learn most from these bad situations and become stronger people. Instead of looking at it as something horrible, think of it as a learning experience, I know it sounds totally cliché but it's true. 

Anyways, that about covers what I had to say, and I hope that this helps someone else see things more positively. I've been in quite a few bad situations but here I am still learning and growing every day and becoming a stronger, more successful person. Just don't be too hard on yourself and keep your chin up even in the worst of times. <3 

It's Been Too Long.

I don't know exactly what compelled me to come and revisit my blog but I'm glad I did. I began reading through some of my own posts, mostly the ones with meaning behind them rather than just artwork and such. After reading about previous re-realizations I came upon another. That realization is this: we all tend to get caught up in this fast paced world without even realizing it. We often lose ourselves, forgetting who we are and what we've learned. Picture it like this, we are balloons, everything that influences us (negatively, or not exactly positively) is helium, everything that we learn is just oxygen. We start out as empty balloons and as we learn and grow we get filled up with both oxygen and helium. The helium causes us to drift farther and farther away from earth (or reality) whereas the oxygen just allows us to stay full of that knowledge and experience while still being "down to earth". As we get older and we have influences like mass media and material objects we begin consuming more helium than oxygen and we start drifting away. But every now and then, something comes along, and pokes a little hole in that balloon and you drift back down to earth. You patch yourself up, remember that oxygen is more important and carry on with your life, close to earth. Often the process will repeat because as humans we forget things a lot, but there's always that something that brings us back down whether it's because of a thought you had yourself, a conversation with a friend, or something not so pleasant that forces you to open your eyes to reality. I'm not entirely sure if this is what happens to everyone but I know in my case this is one hundred percent true. I will be the first to admit that I often get too caught up in this fast paced world of technology, gossip, and material objects. For example, lately I've been nearly obsessed with looking at things to buy online. I don't end up buying half of it but I still look at it and say "I want that!" And not until now have I realized that that "want" I have is greed. I do not need that item, I just want it in my possession. Anyways, back to the balloon metaphor, I'm sure someone else feels the same way I do about this, and I think that the people who don't, should maybe try it once in awhile. It feels nearly impossible to never partake in everything that people get so wrapped up in but at least take a break once in awhile to reflect on yourself and your surroundings. People don't take enough time to stop and smell the roses. So, next time you consciously realize that "you're too full of helium" let it go and go sniff some flowers!