For the last two weeks, I have been trying to be happy. Most of the time I am, but lately it’s been a struggle.
Lately, the only thing coming my way is a bunch of unhappy people. People I work with, people I go to school with and even people back home are all dealing with some issues. These same issues are causing them to criticize everything about life instead of enjoying every moment of it.
I suppose I can say these things because there was a time in my life when I felt hopeless, when I was very unhappy, when I was depressed.
I wanted to talk to somebody and explain to them what I was going through, but the people I turned to blew my concerns off. My family told me I needed to get myself together and my “friends” thought all I needed was a drink, a good night out and a good man.
It was a scary time in my life. I felt as if I had no control of my actions. Something as simple as missing the bus to school would ruin my entire day and send me back home to my bed. It wasn’t until I flunked an entire semester I realized I had to do something.
At first, it was hard. I had to work two jobs to pay for school, find ways to get around town without a car, and try to recover the damage to my less than impressive GPA.
On top of that, I had to deal with people’s criticism, and my own, of my past failures.
Two years later, I find myself encouraging people to keep a positive attitude, knowing it’s not always that easy. Everyday I talk with people to help them deal with situations in their life that are stealing their joy.
My experience made me a fighter. I had to learn to work through my problems. I had to learn to look out for myself by loving myself. Everyday I made a commitment to do something for me, whether it meant taking a walk on a sunny day or soaking in a long bubble bath.
So, for those people I’ve been talking with, the ones who are stressed out, frustrated and aggravated, remember to not let anything or anyone steal your joy.
It’s not worth it, but believe me, you are.