In the last six years, I have learned this lesson over and over again. I’ve climbed impossible mountains. I’ve thrown myself into the pit of despair. I have opened myself up and I have experienced ridicule and failure. And also amazing love and warmth.
I have come out of every endeavor. Alive. Not always kicking... Not every time… Sometimes I crawled. That’s okay. Crawling is moving. Taking baby steps is moving. Standing still or laying down when you feel low and can’t go on is going to happen. Being scared, having doubt, or screwing up, is going to happen. It isn’t failure. Staying there is.
Getting up again, in any manner, is success. It’s finding a new way to your dream; whatever that dream might be. Nothing is insignificant if you desire it. Nothing is out of your reach unless you make it so.
Once upon a time, I learned something from an old friend. I was going through some really hard times, and she said, “You’ll be okay.”
I looked at her, full of doubt and sadness.
She stared me down.
“You’ll be OKAY. Because we always are. No matter what. You figure out a way. It may not be great. But you’ll be okay.”
Truer words were never spoken. It reassured me. It wasn’t the end of the world (though it felt like it). If you can hold on to the idea that you will be okay, that you can succeed, you will. Maybe not in the manner you dreamt of…but it will happen.
So do the stupid things. Say the stupid things. Put yourself out on a limb. Succeed. Fly. Fail. Fall. Get up again. In any manner you can. And you’ll be okay. Sometimes, being okay is all we have. Being okay can get us to the next step on our journey. And perhaps, you may just surpass your wildest dreams.