-If you’re struggling, read this-

Hi there love, I’m so happy that you’re here. I know that it may not be under the best circumstances because chances are you are going through something hard, but right now I am wrapping you up in a huge hug, wherever you may be. In this moment, you are so very loved and whatever you are going through, know that I am walking with you. We will get through whatever struggle you are carrying right now because together we can do anything. I am so proud of you for getting this far and know that you continue to find the light in this dark time. The fact that you are reading this shows that you are still fighting. Take a second, right now, and acknowledge that YOU are taking steps towards becoming a better you. That is amazing and something to be proud of. 

So, let’s talk struggles. You have them. I have them. We ALL have them. But that is the beauty, our struggles bring us together. There is no other explanation as to why we go through these tough times other than to help others go through theirs. It is a beautiful yet twisted system, but it works. Think about it…we talk those tough talks, we cry those painful tears, we lean on each other in the darkest of times. We simply could not get through these things by ourselves and for that alone makes all the hard times worth it. I like to think of life as a puzzle. Not that it is confusing and hard to put together, but that the pieces all come together for a reason. Those outer pieces, are the easy ones to put together, the ones we are drawn to first, those are our people. They are the one call away, come get us in the middle of the night, sit on the bathroom floor and cry, people. Imagine them in your head right now. They support us. They will drop anything and everything for us. They are our stability. They hold us together. Once you’re done reading this, send them a text and tell them you love them. Then we have the inner pieces and honestly, those pieces are just life. Some pieces are fun and full of color. Those are our bright days full of laughter and happy memories. And then there are the dark pieces. The hard ones to find a place for. Those are our struggles, our insecurities, our deepest darkest secrets. But they all have a place in the puzzle and at the end, they come together to form a beautiful picture. Same with you. Your life is a puzzle. There will be those higher than high days and the lower than low ones, but they all have a purpose. In the end, the highs and the lows will come together and form a beautiful image; your life. So right now, whatever it is you are carrying, know that there is a purpose. I know it is hard. It doesn’t all make sense, it feels unfair, you wish it would just go away. And that is okay, we are human. We are supposed to feel these things. But once we feel the feels, we must face these struggles. We have to rise to the challenge because unfortunately there is no quick fix. No magic words, no pill to take, no genie in a bottle. There is only you and your beating heart. And guess what, that is all you need. At the end of the day, you create your own destiny. You make the choice, every single day on whether or not you are going to define the day or if the day is going to define you. And believe me, you ALL can define each and every day. Will there be tough days, HELL YES, but will you make it, you bet! It’s time to find beauty in the struggle. I know this is the hardest part because all the self-doubt and insecurities are the first things we look to, but we can make a conscious effort to find the good, rather than the bad.

I am guilty of this myself. The other day I just had one of those days. You just don’t know why everything is crashing down and you can’t make it stop. You feel all the pain, but yet, you smile. You laugh. You put up the wall. But guess what, the wall only stands for so long. It will come down and that was exactly what happened. I cracked. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I had to let it break down and talk it out. And once I did, I felt better, but then it set in. The doubt, the fear, the guilt of giving someone else the weight of my struggle. We all have this feeling, but why? Why are we so afraid of someone seeing who we truly are or what we carry. I had to remind myself of one of my lectures from college. It was about holding a water bottle over your head. Sounds silly right? My professor asked us if we could hold a bottle of water over our heads for 20 minutes, and we all answered “yes”. I mean it’s just a water bottle, right? And then he asked us if we could hold it over our heads for an hour. And we said, “well maybe, but our arms might get tired.” He said, “How about for 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months, or 2 years?” And we all, simultaneously, said “no”. He said, “this water bottle represents the struggles that you carry with you. You can hold them alone for only so long, and eventually, you will need help, or you will fall down”. The bottom line is that something so little will eventually become something big. Something you thought you could handle on your own will eventually become something you can’t carry anymore. So why let it get to that point? Why hide it? When I reminded myself of this and talked to some of my “outer pieces” I realized that breaking down to people is okay. It is healthy. And quite honestly, in those times it is the best thing. Will they always have the answer? No. Will the problem be solved then and there? Probably not. But will you be carrying it alone anymore? No, and THAT is the beauty. It’s time to let people in. Let them love you in the dark times. Let them help you find the light. I PROMISE you, it will come full circle eventually. So whatever you are facing right now, hold on. Keep fighting. Get up each day and know that your heart is beating for a reason. You are withstanding this struggle for a reason. Find the beauty in the struggle and it will make sense. It will be beautiful. It will be you. 

I love you all so much. You are ALL beautiful and worthy of so much and I will remind you every.single.day. until you believe it yourselves! Together, we can figure out this puzzling life and make sense of even the darkest of days. Because at the end of the day, we are all just walking each other home. 

XOXO, 
​Caroline

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