Do not let yourself walk around with an orphaned heart, with a soul that feels empty or alone. Do not let yourself wander through your days without purpose or direction, bumping into people and things without a sliver of hope for what lies ahead. Do not let yourself feel the aches of yesterday, the people who left creating a hole in your chest.

You are not an orphan.
You are not alone.
You are not defeated.

Even in the shadows, even with the most painful memories dragging like dead weight behind you—there is a place for you here on this earth.

The truth is, you will face moments of discouragement and loss. You will be clouded by pain and broken promises. You will watch people you never thought would run scurry away from you as if fleeing is all they’ve ever known.

But still, none of these moments will change or define your worth.

It’s time you shed the skin of defeat and disgust you’ve convinced yourself you need to wear. It’s time you pulled back the layers, revealed the truth in your heart that’s been hiding for so long. It’s time to remind yourself that you are loved, that you are treasured, that you are needed here.

It’s time to look up to the sky, re-center yourself, and remember who you are—and how that person is still intact, despite where you’ve been. It’s time to quiet the doubting voices and step forward with purpose in mind.

You are not lonely, destined to walk this ground without anyone who cares. You are not by yourself, neglected and left to face the challenges on your own. You are not broken, unable to find hands to hold, ears to listen, lips to kiss.

You’ve been sitting in your emptiness for too long. You’ve been dragging the shattered remains of your past life behind you, instead of releasing all that is not of you and all that you can’t control.

You’ve been walking around with an orphaned heart, convincing yourself that love will never come to you because you’re not worthy of it. But that’s fear talking, and fear won’t win unless you let it.

You are more than the broken relationships, than the shattered promises, than the people who walked away or left. You are more than the dreams you had that faded, than the best-laid plans you tried to construct so that life would go the way you desired. It’s okay that it didn’t.

Things and people fall apart, but still, you keep moving. You find your pulse in the silence; you discover hope amidst the wreckage. And you put your heart back together, all the while realizing that it was temporarily bruised, but never broken beyond repair. You were hurt, but not destroyed. You were lost, but found when you looked in the mirror.

Because even in everything that life has thrown your way, you are still alive. And that is saying something.

So quit walking around with your head to the ground, eyes low, heart halfway beating. Yes, you have gone through so much, but let this pave the way for every second chance, every new beginning.

Put your hand on your chest and feel the beat. You have always been, and always will be, real, strong, wild, and full.
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Featured Image Credit: Arthur Aldyrkhanov