Sunshine and Rainbows

I'm still here. My heart is beating, my passion is full. Eyes wide open.

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There's a famous quote that inspired me to write again. It will probably be familiar to you and at this time, it rings truer than true to my ears. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Life is beautiful, but, life is hard. We go through tough times but they make us even tougher people. We have to encounter the bad to fully appreciate the good - and in truth: shit happens, it always will. And if you accept less than what you deserve, settle for the shit...well things aren't going to ever look up! Sometimes, you have to face your demons head on, realize where you've gone wrong, pick yourself back up and start over. You're the one who gets to turn things around. YOU.

The glory in falling down, is standing back up, starting from fresh. It doesn't matter how many times you get knocked off your feet, it's about always standing back up. About putting up a fight and for never settling for less than you deserve.

Fighting back and standing up for yourself is important, but...let's look at the darker side of it all...what happens when it all doesn't work out? When you plan for things to go a certain way, set goals, tell the whole world about it and yet...you still fall down, you fall short of what you were expecting, or maybe you were dealt a completely different hand, one you didn't want altogether. The truth is, we can set our goals and be confident in ourselves to expect the best...but sometimes, that best doesn't come and worse yet, our best might just not be good enough. Then what? How do you move forward, how do you respond...what next?

"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done. Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you. You're better than that!" - Rocky

You move on. You push on. Life goes on.

Sometimes, life isn't fair. It isn't all 'sunshine and rainbows'...it can be a cruel place. People are going to hurt you, they are going to let you down and sometimes, you need to move on. Do what is best for you in the moment and do what will make you feel better.

We get angry, we lash out, we shut down. We don't like bad things. We don't like how they make us feel, how they affect our goals, our confidence, our life. But...bad things happen. And they will keep on happening, if you let them. You have a choice. To settle for being beat, for giving up, for not succeeding on your goal...or you can move on. Keep pushing, every day. Don't let one experience beat you down for the world to see. Use that experience to better you, to learn. 

Experiences are useful. If something makes us feel sad and mad and empty, we are never going to want to experience that again, so we move in one of two directions: one, down a spiral of self defeat. Be angry, get mad at the world, and decide everyone should feel your pain...and settle. Settle for less than you deserve. Or, two: be angry, get mad at the world, and then move on. Life happens, shit happens. And you realize how horrible you felt, you would never wish that upon anyone. From there, your chain of affects, is amazing. You choose to be a better person, maybe even the bigger person. And in that moment, you are making this world a better place for the next person.

As tough as that decision is, I hope you always choose to be the bigger person. 

You, my friend, have the power. The power to move on and move forward. The power to experience pain and sadness, to be let down, to get mad...and then move on. Push on.  To not let that pain define you...and to still expect 'sunshine and rainbows'. Because even though this life is tough and bad things happen, this life is still beautiful. For every chance you miss, another is granted. For every door that closes, another one opens. For every time you fall, there is the opportunity to stand back up. When something ends, it's the opportunity to start again. You - have - the - choice. Which way will you look at it? How will you let 'life' affect you? You create your world, make it a good place. Spread love, spread positivity and don't spread pain.

Experience is important. But believe in yourself, to have the power to make a change, to realize how much you can affect others and to know the importance, of always standing back up after you fall.

XOXOX