Let your love shine bright

The tragedies that are happening in our world today are unimaginable and heartbreaking. The people who die, have families - mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and so much more. It isn't just one life lost, it is the parts of lives of their whole family that is lost. A small piece breaks away with those who have passed, and much more than a life has been taken.

It is times like these, that we need to remember to love. Remember that we are all people, people with families, people going through SOMETHING, and we need to remember to be that helping hand or warm smile for a complete stranger. It is times like these, that we need to try actively to forget about ourselves, and live our lives with others in mind. Live your life with love and compassion, give others hope. Care about others and be genuine, because nothing can compare to the feeling of someone caring for you, genuinely. That small question, of how is your day, with a genuine concern, could make the difference in someone's life, it could save a life, or even many more.

Don't lose your hope in humanity, come with force to prove to the world that we are founded upon something much stronger. Love can take us places hate never could. Our world can be good, no matter the glitches, no matter than horrific things that happen, we are good, and we need to remember that it starts with us. It starts with one person and their love, and it trickles down to all of us. Love here, love now. Love always.

Let your love shine brighter than any shadows hate may bring. While the hate going around the world, the hate going around our country, may seem greater than anything, we must make it apparent that our love, kindness, and compassion are much bigger than anything hate can bring. Let your love light the way for those who are lost and need hope.

Comfort v. Growth

"Sometimes new opportunity means new opposition. Not everything God asks us to do will be comfortable."

- Joyce Meyer

Whether you are religious or not, I feel that this quote speaks volumes. The two sentences, while related, send me two very unique messages. The first tells me that not everything is easy, the second is that sometimes the things we must do will challenge us, but they will make us better.

New opportunity means new opposition. We, as humans, like routine, we like things to be ordinary, we like to be able to count on things, but when a new opportunity comes up, many times it comes with many other things. There will be new challenges, challenges you didn't foresee, challenges you've never encountered before. Some of these hurdles you'll barely clear, but you'll find a way to make it over. You will be pushed until you can jump over that hurdle, and it is THAT that will make it a little bit easier for the next hurdle. Things won't be easy, but they will be worth it. New opportunity doesn't mean things will be the same, it means things will be different, and you will be better for it.

Now on to the second part: "Not everything God asks us to do will be comfortable". This quote gets to something I have always thought a lot about: comfort. We love comfort, we love to have that routine so that we feel okay. We have those foods (mine happen to rainbow chip frosting and chili cheese fries, not together of course) that when we are having a bad day, will make us feel better. Comfort is something we crave, because let's face it being uncomfortable is just that, uncomfortable.

We like to be comfortable, but what really get's accomplished when we are comfortable? We feel good about ourselves, and that's great, but have we grown at all? If I stayed the same, how different would I be, day after day? If I only did what was comfortable, how would I ever become BETTER than who I was? Comfort is limiting, comfort can be crippling, comfort can be your worst enemy.

I believe there is ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS room for improvement. I want to be the best version of myself, and I know that that is impossible if I stay in my comfort zone. Being better requires getting out of the comfort zone and doing things that you are not used to. Push yourself hard and propel yourself closer to who you COULD be. I understand the temptation that comes with being comfortable and content, but there is a point in time when you need to realize, that you were meant for more than this.