This Is Why You Should Consider Yourself Brave, Even If You Don’t Feel Like You Are

In a world that has become so filtered, I hope you understand that you do not need to fix yourself. You can, and only ever should, free yourself from the feeling that you need to be fixed in the first place. Because life can be fragile, and more often than not, it will end up leaving you in a mess.

You will spend years trying to comb through the tangled emotions left inside of you, mistaking fear as fact, replacing desire with doubt. You will slowly and painfully learn that at the end of the day, it is possible to experience the best and the worst of everything, all within the same moment. That it is possible to feel helpless and hopeful, all within the same breath. That it is possible to crave adventure and fear it, all within the same step. And that it too is possible to hold happiness and heartache, all within the same heart.

You see, one of the scariest things life will teach you about itself is that it only exists in the exact same moment it is experienced. Not a second before or a second after. Not a second less or a second longer. And somehow, without even realizing it, despite having no idea what’s next, you are still brave enough to blindly continue. To take that next step, no matter how little or large, having complete trust that when your foot makes impact—the ground will be there to meet you. To take that next breath, no matter how shallow or deep, having complete faith that when you inhale, air will be there to fill your lungs.

There is no denying the fact that there will be difficult moments that you will be greeted with. Moments that will knock the wind out of you and pull the ground up from under you. Moments that will seem unfair. Moments that will leave an imprint on your memory. And moments that will remain unfiltered. But realize that you will find it in you to continue, even with your breath stolen and your ground shaken. You will fight to breathe. You will fight to keep moving. And so, during these moments, when your feet feel too heavy to move and your throat feels too tight to breathe, know that whatever you are doing is enough. Simply continuing to live, despite experiencing moments that make you wish you could find a way to disappear, is the bravest thing you can ever do.

And so, if you need to take a second to stand still and catch your breath, I hope you take it. If you need to take a second to stand still and find your footing, I hope you welcome it. Because what a remarkable thing you are doing, choosing to get up every morning and experiencing life as it continues to unravel without knowing exactly what lies next. Choosing to realize that although your fears may stand all, your faith will always find a way to peak higher. And if I am being honest, there is nothing about this that is broken. There is nothing about this that needs fixing either. Because here you are, choosing to live an unfiltered life in a filtered world. Here you are, learning that the biggest fight in your life will be the fight for your life. And that no matter how unsurvivable certain moments may feel, you will survive them all. And at the end of it all, it will be worth it. It will always be worth it.