Life is not easy. However, don’t ever think that suicide is an option. It’s not. Things will change. It may not look like it now, or even feel like it, but it will. Unfortunately, school or even parents do not teach us how to handle life’s problems or how to recover from bad mistakes. When you don’t make good friends easily, fail at goals, didn’t get that needed job, get dumped or cheated on, divorced, beat up, molested, raped, or lose a very close family member or friend, life can really hurt and feel unbearable. However, the truth is life can be the best and the worst at the same time. Even though social media may not show it, no one on this earth is exempt from problems, especially those mentioned above. Despite all of this, life is like a roller coaster. It can have its ups and downs. But the greatest moments make the bad moments worth it; and when the ride is over you will appreciate the whole trip. So, when you are feeling down and having negative thoughts of giving up, please tell yourself that “giving up is not an option” and remember the following:
- Give it more time. If you are currently 25 years old and (God forbid) you pass away at the very young age of 75. That is still a whole 50 years (again 50 years) for your life to turn around, and for you to enjoy many great times. So, never give up and don’t take the risk of missing out on a great future. If I gave up when I thought my life was a failure, and when I could not see things ever improving, then I would have missed out on all the great things I enjoy today.
- If you give up, the pain of your problems and failures will never hurt as much as the pain that your family and friends will feel when you are gone. If you truly love them, you won’t ever ever want them to feel that extreme hurt and enduring pain for the rest of their lives. Today, they may be wrapped up in their own problems, maybe even ones that you do not see, but they still love you.
- Great people come from great adversity. We can list hundreds of examples of people who had a sucky life or experienced horrible misfortunes and never gave up, only to become top athletes, movie stars, or more importantly, a hero to their own family, friends or community. Therefore, learn and grow from your life’s problems to become a better you.
- Just like everything else in this world, you have a purpose on this earth. Life’s problems and failures are actually good things to help push you in the right direction and also push you away from the wrong direction (people, jobs, relationships…etc.). Therefore, you will not find true happiness until you realize and live your purpose. Use your time and energy wisely to find out what that is. In addition, there may be many people in your life now and in the future whose happiness, success, and even courage depends on YOU living out yours. Your triumph can the example they need for theirs.
So don’t give up. Winning is right around the corner…Just Believe It!
– Author Tomm A. Boyer