Shatter the World

What if the greatest dragon we must slay is ourselves? What if we must hit rock bottom before we can rise? What if we can be more than we ever dare to dream or realize? Perhaps you are wondering what inspired this plethora of thoughts, and in the simplest terms- I was washing my face at the end of a productive day. Removing the mascara from my eyelashes, I stared for a moment into the mirror as the layers faded away and reflected over the greatest enemy to my success, the dragon that I had to slay and the dragon that I must continue to slay on a daily basis- Myself.

Rejection hurts. Simply stated, there is nothing comparable to the feeling that washes over you when you have wished and dreamed and prayed for something, and it doesn't happen. Everyone has experienced a poignantly painful disappointment- a relationship, a promotion, a friendship or perhaps a lifelong goal- and you think that perhaps you were never enough? Then, you ponder: I must not be enough. What about me is not "enough"?

Admittedly, I have wrestled with these feelings more than I care to admit; plaguing me and stealing my joy countless times, as the tears of resentment and inferiority tricked down my cheeks. Life is strange; Isn't it? Despite the achievements and joy in my life, there is something taken out of your soul when you lose a longing of your heart. Lost. Alone. Broken. The first stage is despair; you mourn your dreams. Then, you bury them. Acceptance follows, but oh, what a harsh, cold, and vile step of the process acceptance is.

Yet, afterwards, accompanying acceptance is fire. Recently, I entered this step and I concede the concept that my vision of myself has changed from powerless to a princess warrior. A fire has been lit in the pit of my soul, a fire that cannot be extinguished and that burns from a cavernous longing that I must fulfill, an urgency in grasping the reality of my destiny, as well as the compelling sensation of my part to play in this destiny. I will not let my failures define me. I will let my failures propel me into path that has been revealed to me- and I promise to myself that I will never stop. The journey of a thousand miles will begin with a single step that I shall take; the steps of this trail are not always known, but the memory of the searing sensation will be ingrained, imprinted into my heart.

If I want to stop, I will remind myself of that time. Then, I will practice. I will train. I will labor tirelessly, mercilessly for the opportunity to actualize this dream into an imminent reality. One days, the countless hours will materialize before me, and I will discover the beauty of a tangible dream before my eyes. My purpose in writing this is to speak these simple words of faith into you- Please, don't give up. Each disappointment and declination will lead you along the path to success, but success cannot be bought, but earned through the fire of grief and the ache of being overlooked and underappreciated.

Warrior- make yourself known. Your future is not written in stone. You have the opportunity to alter the path before you. Let the pain of past memories ignite an indestructible, resistant fire within you- a fire of passion and experience- and slay the dragon. Slay the dragon of your own self-doubt. The creature can be slayed, although it might be a daily battle, but once you are released from the oppressive shackles, you will be an immoveable force. Be a hurricane. Be an earthquake. Be a tsunami. Shatter the world.

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