Life can throw some pretty nasty curve balls. You might lose a loved one, or it might even just be one of those days. Either way, we all know the pain of life pretty well. So what happens when you don't want to play anymore? What do you do when it's not "all good"?

If you've ever played a sport, you know that it takes a lot of hard work to be top dog. It takes practice, long nights, early mornings, aching muscles, and a hell of a lot of motivation. And when you don't come out on top, it doesn't mean you just walk off the field. There were times in my life when I thought that hey, what else do I have to lose? I would give up on myself so easily and end up leaning on my friends more than I did myself. Because of that, I never bettered myself. I never worked on getting better. I used my friends as my crutch. Over the past year, I didn't have them to lean on. In turn, I found the strength I didn't know I had.

So let's say you're down and out and ready to give up. Life has just kicked you when you're already down and you're just flat out done. What do you do when you lose a game? If you're anything like me, you'll hear this little voice in the back of your mind saying, "hell no". In life, when fit hits the shan (see what I did there?) Don't give people the satisfaction of knowing that they got to you. Show them that you're a force to be reckoned with. Get rid of bad influences, toxic relationships, and get back to your roots. Do what makes you happy. Listen to music and dance around your room, watch movies and eat pizza in your sweatpants. Surround yourself by good people and good vibes.

Bad things can happen in life...that's just the way it is. But it's the way you take it and the way you handle it that will affect how it turns out. Don't let life kick you in the ass...hell, kick back! This is your life - take control of it. Trust that everything will work out and that this time around you'll work harder than you did before. Give it time. Breathe. Remind yourself that you are worth it, because trust me, you are.