“and here you are living despite it all”
– Rupi Kaur
We are all so much stronger than we think we are. Even on your darkest day when you are filled with despair and cannot fathom going on – you will. You have survived your worst and you will conquer whatever comes next. You will struggle, but you will find strength and courage despite it all.
When you believe you are not strong enough, prove yourself wrong. Make a conscious decision that you will not allow these negative thoughts to tie you down and limit your potential. You are enough.
Every adversity you encounter gives you two choices: fight and prove yourself wrong, or succumb. Each time you believe in yourself and change the way you think you build your mental strength. You begin to think less about the things you can’t do and more about all the things you can do when you become your strongest self.
Today is Bell’s “Let’s Talk Day” campaign, a day that happens once a year and is close to my heart. The goal of this day is to raise awareness for the millions of individuals living with a mental illness, raise money to support key organizations, and to teach people the power of speaking up and asking for help.
To make change for the future, it is critical we talk to end the stigma. You are your own person, not your diagnosis. You are defined by your strength and courage.
Those battling mental illnesses are some of the strongest, most resilient individuals you can encounter.
You have struggled – but you’ve grown and am stronger for this.
You have survived the stigma associated with having an invisible illness.
You have won battles when your mind seems to have turned against you. You have been relentless in your pursuit for a healthy well-being and quality of life.
You are a warrior.
And through all of this – you are still here. You overcome all that you thought you couldn’t. You have advocated for yourself and fought for others.
Do not be ashamed, your struggle is part of your story. And your story will go on to inspire others.
So next time the little voice whispers in your head that you are not good enough and things will never get better, use the strength and courage you have gained to know that you can get through that rough moment, hour or day. You are stronger than your anxiety, your depression, your eating disorder, or whatever it is you have. You are so courageous and should be so proud.
You are so loved, and you are so enough.
Photo by Julian Santa Ana on Unsplash.
