I’m sure you’re feeling tired and beaten down. I’m sure there is just that one thing always at the forefront of your worries and anxieties, an ever-present stressor that just never seems to go away. You’ve tried multiple ways of tackling it, but it still remains the monster under your bed (or in your head). Maybe it’s that biology class that you can’t seem to get good grades in, despite your constant studying. Maybe it’s looking at your current batting average and convincing yourself you’re never going to make league honors. Maybe it’s a bad case of writer’s block that’s preventing you from finishing the book you’re writing and hoping to eventually publish for the first time. Maybe it’s a song that won’t come together.

Regardless of what it is, I’m here to tell you that you can do it. I’m here to tell you that these things will not matter to you down the line. In the grand scheme of things, these are not the end-all-be-all moments of your life. The worst-case scenario in each of these is still not that worst-case scenario that could happen in general to a person. They are annoying, that I can agree with, but you will make it through it.

Now take a deep breath.

Take a moment to de-stress yourself. Find something you enjoy and please make time for it. Whether that be listening to music, painting a picture, or playing a sport, make time for something that makes you feel whole. That being said, if you’re competitive and losing a game would make you upset, then don’t use sports as an outlet. If you’re going to criticize all the details of your painting when you finish because it’s less than perfect, then you need to find another outlet. It can be anything, and the idea isn’t for it to be something you’re good at, but rather something you enjoy.

Then keep pushing.

The things worth having are never easy to obtain. They are things you have to work for, fight for, and reach for. Believe that impossible is not a word, but rather an excuse. If you want that A on your biology test, you can definitely do it. Keep studying hard and push yourself harder, and you will reach your goal. If you have faith in yourself, you will go SO far. You have to believe that you can make it, that it is entirely attainable since you can imagine it. There are lots of different ways of reaching your goal and finding happiness, but quitting is definitely not one of them.

If you need to, cry and rant about it. Scream about it, write about it, feel it. It’s okay to be angry about what you’re experiencing. What isn’t okay is remaining there. What isn’t okay is letting yourself be convinced by negative thoughts and worst case scenarios. What isn’t okay is lying down and giving up all hope. There is always hope. There is always a chance.

So go grab it.

Because if you give up and don’t keep trying for it, someone else will come along and grab it themselves.

Plus, if you don’t give up, you just might inspire someone else to keep pushing, too.

Dream on. Work on. Inspire on.