"Three in the morning is the hour of writers, painters, poets, musicians, silence seekers, over-thinkers, and creative people. We know who you are. We can see your light on. Keep on keeping on." ~ Anonymous

Experiencing adversity in life is an inevitable part of being human. Adversity reveals your true character when faced with challenges in life. When confronted with a challenge or obstacle in life, each one of us has a choice of how to deal with the card we are dealt. We cannot choose what card we were dealt - if it is out of our control - but we can choose how to play the card. Now, the power then lies in your hands. You are in control of your life's trajectory.

Depression. I can still feel my eardrums being painfully pierced with the etching of these letters from someone's mouth: D.E.P.R.E.S.S.I.O.N. My world came to a halt. In that very moment, I felt useless. I felt beyond feeble and terrified. All of the accomplishments I had made in my life did not matter at that point. Any future endeavours and life goals were gradually fading away before my empty, lifeless eyes. How could I see? Every time I looked into a mirror, I saw a stranger staring back at me. Who was she? She was withering away, becoming a fragile flower that could be snapped in half any moment.

I think many people forget during times of hardship how much they have to offer this world. I think many people forget about their strengths and capabilities. Art was the avenue that allowed me to express myself and provided me the safe haven which ultimately saved me from negative thoughts. I utilized my skills in creative writing to begin healing. Here is the analogy I wrote:

"When life gets tough remember this. 💛 Strength is Power. Power is Strength. Like the components of an operating machine, so to do the filaments and fibres of muscles that generate a forceful strength behind our muscles. It is the willpower and determination that fuel these muscles to overcome adversity in life. Just like the buildup of lactic acid - similar to that of stressing ourselves - it pools and pools leaving us aching or in pain. When we generate enough power to work harder & harder, we grow stronger and stronger. Soon the lactic acid dissipates. Give those muscles time to recover, and we can start rebuilding ourselves over again." ~ Keely

My message to you is to utilize all your strengths and skills you have during times of hardship. Even though there has been many progressive steps to eradicating the stigma that surrounds mental health, there is still much work to be done.