For this week’s article, I have decided to write about stress.

Now, stress is a broad subject. Everyone is a victim of it. There’s stress in school, personal and social life. It seems as if there’s no way to escape it. In my opinion, the worst form of stress comes in the form of over-analysis and assuming the past will repeat itself. This is something that has come to surface in my life quite recently. So here I am writing about how I feel.

The only way I know how, getting my crazy over-the-top bubbling emotions out of my negative black cauldron.

It isn’t a secret that 2015/2016 was a tough year for me. I experienced a lot of changes and lost a few people I hold close to my heart. I also lost myself for a little bit. Being the same time of the year when shit hit the fan last year, a lot of past emotions are surfacing.

A friend of mine suggested I write this, in hopes of relieving myself in a way, making me realize I should listen to my friends more because my cauldron becomes clouded in smoke — quite literally.

A year ago during this time, my world was turned upside down, and I was forced to learn how to pick up my broken pieces. I had no choice. I couldn’t go back; I could only move forward. And that’s the piece of advice that I continue to carry with me. That the past is the past and all we can do is fix what we can and move on to create an even more fulfilling result.

I can honestly relate to the Chinese pottery technique known as Kintsugi. Do me a favor and look it up if you don’t know what it is. Kintsugi is the art form where broken pieces of pottery are repaired with gold, creating an even more unique and beautiful piece.

Something that was once damaged came out looking better than ever before.

And that’s my goal, to keep doing better.

To keep mending my broken pieces until all you can see is the gold shining through. And, there wouldn't be the gold if mistakes can't be made. As hard and tedious as it may be, the outcome will always be golden if you work hard and power through the breakage.

Coming from a lazy girl like me, working hard is not fun. But it’s worth it in the end.

I keep saying "end" as if there’s a point in my life where I’m going to say, oh yeah, I won the race, I’m here. But in reality, there are hundreds of ends we face in our lives. And that just means we just have to keep striving to do better and be better and lean on those who want you to lean on them. We can't go through life alone, living isn't intended that way.

One thing I’ve learned that plays a role in coping with stress is the concept of patience and listening, something I do not practice well. I’m lucky enough to have friends who understand what I’m going through and teach me how to have the patience and persistence that I need.

The fact is, we aren’t living life locked away like Princess Fiona in Shrek. We can't just wait around for things to happen, assuming life will fall into place. Taking action and moving forward is the only way to go. You'll trip over yourself if you stand still and the world keeps moving.