Don't Let Your Downfalls DEFINE You!
Looking at my life now, I can't help but see a sharp contrast. I know I mentioned this little life story in my other post, But I wanted to go into it more in detail. So Here it is again:
After getting my appendix removed at age 18 with no health insurance. I was in serious debt; I was a college student. Struggling to make ends meet. I became so depressed that my life was "over." That I would never get out of debt, and I Could never change my life.
The tiny little paychecks I was getting from my full, and the part-time job. Working over 12 hours a day, Wasn't even making a dent in the 15,000 I owed in hospital bills. I also had student loans on top of that.
At that point, I had given up all hope, And I started to dig myself deeper. Wasting more of my precious youth on folding laundry, And being a housekeeper. Instead of doing what makes me the happiest in life, Art.
Do You Know What Scares The Shit Out Of Me?!
I think about this always. What if Miss 18-Year-old Kaylin, Threw in the towel? What If I let that horrible experience define my life? What If I allowed that to be an excuse for everything I failed to do?
I would probably be still working there today, miserable as ever.
This was long before I came to Steemit.
Of course, we've all been through crap.
We've all had horrible experiences.
It doesn't matter if It's your fault.
I was 18; I couldn't afford health insurance as a full-time college student.
I could complain all day, About how the U.S. "screwed me." Or it's the government's fault Or my parents. Or the hospital's fault, Because the bill they gave me the surgery was "too high."
I could sit and blame my self for not paying the 200 a month out of the 400 I was making, For health insurance.
I could spend all day feeling sorry for myself if I wanted to.
But at the end of the day
I got to live!
I don't know how many people die from appendicitis these days; I Assume the number is pretty low.
But it doesn't matter if you have a tiny paper cut, Or whatever it is.
You are still alive right now; You GET to live.
You HAVE to move on!
Yep, More ducks lol
Moving On, Doesn't Justify What Happened
Sometimes we think that when we move on, We are saying "It's okay" to what happened. But that isn't the case at all.
It's okay to disagree with the outcome, But moving forward allows you to leave that garbage behind and so you can grow as a person. Moving on allows you not to let the bad experience define you.
Sometimes we do this with relationships too. We refuse to move on Because we are hurt.
I felt this for months after my recent breakup. I'd get angry, over the stuff he did. The stuff I didn't see Because I was blinded by the relationship.
Then it dawned on me, My inability to move on, Only hurts me. Not him.
Moving on allows YOU to stop hurting. It's a GIFT for YOU! Not the other person.
Life Can Change So Fast
Sometimes I'm baffled over what I've been through. Because I was able to move past all of it.
My life is set up so nicely now; I may never have to "work" a job I hate ever again. And it's so empowering.
Thanks to Steemit I can get paid to do the things that I LOVE, Like Hikes, Bike rides, and drawing.
Seriously! Who can say that?
I get paid to go hiking.
I get paid to go camping
I get paid to do art!
This just proves you really can have what you want out of life, If you are willing to put in the work. That thing that you never thought were possible can be possible. If you told me this would be my life in "5 Years. " My 18-year-old self wouldn't have believed you.
So next time you are going through something terrible, Remember it will pass. Be proactive and try to figure out how to get through it.
Another incredible post @kaylinart! This really resinated with me...
"My inability to move on, Only hurts me. Not him.
Moving on allows YOU to stop hurting. It's a GIFT for YOU! Not the other person."
You hit the nail on the head with that! So often we we play the blame game but at the end of the day we are in control of our own thoughts and actions, no one else.
Well I was 19 I lost my dad and my job, and two months later lost my mom to stroke, it was horrible for me, but I knew I can't just cower in my defeat, you've brought back memories with these.
I guess now it's different
Wow :( I'm really sorry, I can't even imagine how rough that is. I really hope you are doing better.
I had some really crappy job but they couldn't pay my college fees so I dropped out, I had to fend for myself, so however steemit had since made it better, I'd be going back to college this year.
well @kaylinart what can I say? Let's cheers to a crappy teenage life, that's gotten better
Wow.
I'm glad you are back up on your feet. Moving on is what we do for ourselves and not for others.
You will be fine dear
You're right and thank you for taking time to see this
Keep up the good attitude. I remind myself to let each experience make me better not bitter. They say if you ain't got no test, you ain't got no testimony. Think of each trial overcome as a blessing. Great post. Blessings.
Thank you! Being bitter can really hurt you overtime :)
Congratulations kaylinart, great message. We should not anchor ourselves in the past and much less in the stumbles. The obstacles in life always existed, what we should have is the ability to analyze briefly and objectively what happened, get a teaching of life so as not to make the same mistakes again. What you just said in your publication is the right attitude towards life. Very well, you have solved your difficulties ... Greetings.
Downfalls can get you down easily, especially at the younger ages as you're seeing things just go wrong for you. But with age comes wisdom, and with wisdom comes the sight of moving forward as downfalls just means you get back up.
That was a great read. I'm turning 50 and just had to shut down my business. It's not a good feeling and I feel lost. Steemit has been fun so far and I certainly need to read posts like yours. Thank you @kaylinart
@kaylinart Thank You I needed to be reminded again to get GRATEFUL and Stay Positive and this is what this posting just did for me.
At 21 I left my country from Europe to the US and alone. I cleaned stores and at the same time worked as a carpenter. After few months here I had an accident with my first car which I bought for a loan actualy, it was destroyed and I didn’t have any insurance. At the moment I thought my American Dream has ended. Well, it didn’t. I worked even harder, and today I’m a house owner. I can totaly relate to your story.
Your story should be a source of inspiration for those who feel like throwing in the towel. In life not matter the difficulty, one must ensure to move forward and the good thing about you is you are able to motivate others because you came out victorous. What if you were defeated by the challenges, so many wont be hearing your words now.
Exactly! I really hope this can serve as motivation to those who are really struggling.
I am glad you find the way out of the hole!
In circumstances like that the most important is to maintain a positive mindset. Eventually with enough efffort any problem can be solved, that’s why having patience and perseverance is so important in life.
In my case, in Venezuela we are having extremely difficult times with the worst economic crises in our country’s history, but we can overcome that with hard and smart work, and having patience. If we do our best problems get solved one way or another, and the light can start to shine again.
Exactly! I love that you suggest the positive mindset that makes a world of difference, especially because negative mindsets can set us up for a downward spiral.
Aww I hope things get better in Venezuela. Things seem crazy here in the U.S. too. Sadly much of how our country is going is out of our control for the most part.