This is a letter to the man who didn’t believe he was ever good enough. For the woman who listened to the negative voices in her head and let her fear win. For the guy who let heartbreak determine his path. This is for the girl who looked at her failures and allowed them to define who she’d become.

This is for the person who’s been lost, the one who couldn’t find a direction, and was so dizzy he or she simply stood still. These words are a reminder for each and every one of us—in the moments we’ve forgotten how absolutely powerful we were, and how, despite the circumstances of this life, we still have the ability to stand, to continue, to grow.

Remember this:

Pain will get the best of you sometimes. Brokenness and emptiness, frustration and lost love—these things will pull at your heart and tear you down when you just want to rise. Some days you will walk forward without a clue where you’re headed. Sometimes you’ll love someone and they’ll leave as if you never meant anything to them at all. Sometimes you’ll watch events spiral around you, powerless to help, to change, or to even take the next breath.

Life will not always go according to plan, but I hope you remember you’re only human.

You were never promised perfection, or expected to live without making a mistake. Yes, you were meant to triumph, but also inevitably fail. You were supposed to celebrate, to dance, to throw your head back and laugh without a care, but you were also destined to experience the lows with the highs—everything cyclical, nothing forever permanent.

So this is for you, wherever you are on your journey, maybe the brightest of days, or maybe hiding among the shadows, clinging to the emptiness of yesterday: You are not alone.

There are people who hear you, who see you, who care. All around you there are souls reaching out, there are hands willing to hold you, and there are smiles ready to return the expression on your face and join you in love.

There are better days ahead, days where you will raise your voice and flex your muscles, days when you will crawl, stand, walk forward with your head high.

Hold on for these days, grab hold of these days, and believe in the power of your own two feet pressing into the ground. You are far stronger than you ever thought possible—but you only notice this when your heart is put to the test.

So take a deep breath. Be grounded once again. Feel your heart beating, the blood flowing through your veins. In this moment, I hope you close your eyes for a second and remember who you are, who you have been. I hope you let go of the fears running in circles in your mind and trust that you will find your way, trust that you are powerful, trust that people are looking out for you, trust that the universe will show you how to begin all over again.

Above all, I hope you forgive yourself for the times you were human. And remind yourself that being human is nothing that you should apologize for in the first place. Forgive yourself for losing your way, for being afraid, for doubting the wildness and vigor within you. Forgive yourself for ever speaking anything to your heart but “I can.”

You are not going to have it all figured out. Though you may try, you are not going to have a flawless life, a perfect plan. You are not going to love with all of you, live without ever raising your voice, or be everything that is expected of you—but this is okay.

Just remember where you’ve walked and use that to push you forward. Remember where you want to go, and focus on that desired place until you slowly start to get there. Remember what you’ve already overcome and speak words of positivity to your tired heart. And forgive yourself for the places you haven’t yet reached.

You are strong.
Stop doubting that truth.
 

Featured Image Credit: Brittany Martin