If it's not okay, it's not the end.
I constantly find myself wondering when life is going to all fall into place. It seems that once something starts to go my way that never has before, then something that always has, starts going the opposite direction. I get so frustrated because wouldn't it just be so much easier if everything could all of the sudden start going my way and then I would never know what it was like to worry about things?! Then, I have to remind myself that that only happens 3/4th's of the way into movies. Well, my life's not a movie and the people in it aren't going to resolve everything and make for my perfect happy ending like the characters usually would. So why even try anymore right? I mean, I'm probably going to study really hard for my math test and do really good on that, but then I'm going to get a D on my English paper, even though that's my best subject anyway right? Or I'm probably going to spend all my time working on being a better person, but then nobody will stick around to be with me when I'm that better person right? It just seems that whenever something goes up, another thing aways comes down. So it's hard to focus on whatever it was that finally starting going great because another thing started going really crappy. I just can't win.
Well, when this unending cycle of suck seems to never cease, I try to remind myself of three things.
1. In the end of everything, everything is always okay. So if it's not okay, then it's not the end of something.
In the end of every movie, in the end of every great love story, and in the end of every bad situation you've ever thought you could never get through, everything ends up okay right? Everything ends up okay. Then, you wonder about why the heck you spent three months waking up every day and worrying so much about it. It always ends up okay.
2. God is good.
When God closes a door, he opens a window, right? Now, I don't take this as, "when you lose something, something better comes along". I take this more as "when something brings you down or burns you out, God will bring something new, such as a positive outlook on the situation or a second chance to make it better". God works in crazy ways. Maybe you lost your love right now because God's giving both of you the strength to be better people for each other before giving you guys' your second chance to make it work. Say your prayers at night and I promise, they will be answered. God is good and we need to have a little more faith in that.
3. Your story ends up exactly how it's supposed to in the end. This isn't a practice life.
If you know what you want to do for a living, but it continues to seem impossible for you to get to that point, keep working for it if you know that's what you need in your life. If you know you are meant to be with someone, no matter how hard things are right now, you will be with them in the end. Life is cruel, but it's not that cruel. This is the only life you get and you have to put in every effort to be the person you want to be, be with the person you want to be with forever, do what you want to spend your life doing, and be happy with all of it.
Thinking and reminding myself of these three things get me through days that seem impossible at the start. When I'm upset and can't seem to stop overthinking everything about everything and just making things worse for myself, remembering that everything is going to legitimately work out, takes all of that off my shoulders. I have to remember that when it seems like time to give up on that dream, that relationship, or that math problem because I just can't seem to ever get any of them right, I can't. I can't give up and I have to keep trying because it will all be okay in the end and I'm going to have that dream job, and I'm going to marry that person I love so much, and I'm going to get a good grade on the dumb math homework. I just can't give up on any of it. Because as soon as that faith is gone, as soon as you forget that it is all going to be perfect for you in the end, that's when you lose it all. That's when you're driving yourself away from everything you want in life.
Life isn't always going to be perfect. And you're going to want to give up. You're not going to want to try again right away because you feel burnt out from it. But, you have to. Because it could be so perfect. You're going to spend your entire life making stupid mistakes, regretting mistakes, trying really hard for something, feeling down, feeling happy, feeling like not yourself. Life is all over the place; it's chaotic. But, that's when you remind yourself that life also always work out. And the best part is, it eventually works out in your favor.
So don't give up on anything. Don't give up on anyone. Don't give up on opportunities to be happy, even if there's a possibility in your head to be hurt from it. Don't give up on something you've worked so hard for or waited a long time for. Don't give up on something because it wasn't perfect the first time, try it again even if you don't feel like you want to. Don't forget that it'll all be worth not giving up on. It'll be worth your time and effort.
Because everything ends up exactly how it's supposed to.
Because God is good.
Because everything is okay in the end. And if it's not? Well, then I guess it's not the end.
Just keep trying for it.
