At times it may feel like your life is an unrelenting storm that goes on and on, but things will come to a point where the waves settle down and the storm starts to dissipate. You may not be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel yet with whatever you're going through, but trust me, it's there.
I had someone tell me, "the storm won't last forever" and those five words are what got me though the last four years of my life.
January 4, 2014 was when my family was in a serious car accident that changed my life forever. We were hit by someone who was texting and driving, which resulted in my head slamming into the window, giving me my third concussion. I ended up developing daily chronic migraines from the accident and that was just the beginning of my storm.
Three years and nine months later, the waves in my storm have settled down. It took two hospital stays, three MRI's, four serious diagnosis's, over 200 doctors appointments and a lot more to get to where I am today but I can honestly say that I have learned so much and what I have been through has changed me for the better.
When difficult times come your way, do not let the waves overwhelm you. Life is all about how you get back up and deal with the storm you are facing. We aren't given any battles that are too big for us to handle and I believe that everything that happens to us is for a reason.
You have two choices: to have a positive attitude about whatever you're going through or to have a negative one. And let me tell you, once you choose to have a positive attitude and drown out all of the negatives that you are filling your mind with, it makes a world of difference. You become more thankful for all of the things that are good in your life and celebrate the little victories. You will realize that you aren't alone and start to become empathetic towards others.
Each of us have our own story and own storms that most people around us don't even know about. Physically we can look fine on the outside when on the inside we are battling something far greater than the person next to us might imagine. It is so easy to make it look like we have the perfect lives on social media but you and I both know that is not reality.
The biggest lesson I have had to learn through my storm was to stop comparing myself to others. There is no real “normal” because everyone is on a different path. Society can create so much pressure but you have to learn to do what is best for you and not worry about what other people think. Your true friends will stick around and support you in your "new normal."
It may take longer than we want for our waves to settle down, but we will eventually reach the shore because the storm doesn't last forever.
