Sometimes things happen in life -- seemingly for no apparent reason -- that will stop us dead in our tracks and threaten to break us. These things are arguably inescapable and sometimes happen completely at random. Break-ups, car wrecks or even just a build up of little things that eventually just become too much. Bad things that happen to us don't happen for bad reasons or because we're bad people. Tragedies, inconveniences, bad news -- they can all feel insurmountable and make us feel like we have to stop, we can't keep going, we can't possibly go through it. I'm here to tell you that you can.

I can speak from experience and say that you may think that the rocks being thrown at you feel much too large to dodge. Dodge if you can; take the hit if you can't. But do not let the hit stop you. This, of course, is much easier said than done. If you slow down, you are vulnerable to become subject to falling into a slump. Slumps are sneaky, and you may not notice that you're in one until you have too much to take care of and not enough time. A tumblr blog (nprillustration.tumblr.com) posted some cartoons by artist Joy Ho about how to deal with/get over a slump -- they're quite cute and also very effective at helping you identify the dangers of a slump and manage your slump: part 1: slump got you down? and part 2: how to get over a slump. Slumps can hit you in stressful or emotional times. Slumps will threaten to break us, but they can't. You have to keep going. You can keep going.

Don't get me wrong. Feeling bad is OK. It's OK to be upset. It's OK to pause, just make sure you resume in a timely manner. Coming from someone who has waited too long to resume a few times: it's not fun, and situations are not always saveable. I don't mean to scare you -- I'm just trying to take my mistakes and turn them into pearls of wisdom for you all. Bad situations permit bad feelings. But, feel what you need to feel to keep going. Living in bad feelings will prohibit growth and progress. This, again, is easier said than done, especially for those of us, like me, who suffer from mental illnesses that fight to keep you in those bad feelings all the time. Fighting is hard, but necessary. Fight to remain positive. This will help you keep going.

Here is a wellness and self-care haiku because, when in doubt, write a poem:

Life will get tricky.

Uplift and care for yourself.

Remember to breathe.

Positivity is hard, but positivity is key. It will be your armor in the fight against all the nasty things life can (and will) throw at you. And always remember to keep going.