I know how hard things are for you right now. I know you are struggling to push yourself forward each day. I know that you may not see the light at the end of the tunnel right now.

But I also know that you will one day soon. Rain never lasts forever. The storm can roll on and on, but it always ends. Just like the sky, you are always transforming; you are always growing and changing shape. The lows are fleeting. They never last.

I know that it’s so incredibly difficult to shift your perspective into feeling more hopeful. It may seem impossible that things will get better when you are stuck floating around aimlessly in this stormy gray mess.

But you have an insider’s view. You have your own mind playing tricks on you and your own thoughts weighing down on you. You are trapped in the middle of it all. When you are stuck in the middle, it’s much harder to get out of the center of things and see the clearer view from the edge.

Your thoughts are not light. They are not easy to release or to brush aside. But you are definitely not trapped. You have more power than you may think. So for a moment, and simply a moment, I want you to try, with all of your might, to let these burdening thoughts go. I want you to taste the beautiful fresh air of freedom in a moment of clarity.

For a minute, or even a second, I want you to take a step back. I want you to step out of the center of the storm; to step outside of your body. I want you to press pause on all of negativity swirling within your thoughts. I want you to relax your tense shoulders and fill your body with new fresh light of energy.. And now, I want you to pretend, for just a second, that everything is okay. Life is okay. You are okay. Everything is okay.

Do you have that feeling? Hold on it to it tightly, bring it closer to your heart. Breathe in and out, slowly, one breath at a time. Allow the air to lighten your legs and lift your mind. Feel the enchanting glow of new, fresh energy rushing through you as you focus on believing that everything is okay.

Let go of all of the weight pressing down on your shoulders. Let go of all of the pressure squeezing on your heart and lungs. Let go of all of the thoughts flooding your mind.

Let go… just for a moment.

When the moment is over, notice how much this brief instant of time moved you. I hope you took to heart how wonderful it was to to feel free for those few seconds. And as the present comes back into view, I hope you understand that you don’t need to be fearful of letting go of this magical feeling of freedom. You don’t need to worry about it ending. Because here’s the secret: one day soon you will truly feel this way. And when you do, it will last for more than just a moment.

One day you will look back on these days or months and feel nothing but pride. You will be proud of how you kept on living, despite it all. And you will be proud when you realize that through it all, you still lived through these hard times with grace and resilience.

One day the times won’t feel so bad. One day everything is going to be okay. One day you are going to be okay. And if you are open to the possibility of this, I think it will come sooner than you know.

So if you are traipsing through the storms right now, you are not alone. And while you may think you are going to be stuck in this place forever, I want you to know that you won’t be. You’ve survived everything life has thrown at you so far. You will survive this too.

Breathe. Breathe in… breathe out. Paint a picture in your mind of what it feels like to be ok. Start with moments or seconds, as you just did. Paint a little more of this picture every day. Build up these moments, little by little. And soon, very soon, this painting will be your life; you will be okay.