(A personal piece chosen to be in the top 10 for the Mind Over Matter Contest) Please don't hesitate to view my other works as well as request a cover from my cover book! :) The world thrives on pain. It is never about the happy ending, the prize, reward or the success. Life is about the journey. How we got there, what we had to endure. It's about the pain we all feel. The pain that pushes us forward but can also throw us so far back in our progress. At least, that's how I see it. You can't have happiness without sadness or success without failure. I thought my life was perfect, glorious, spotless. I was content with myself and the future that I was producing. That was all before everything changed. I became tired, confused, lonely and the only thing I could truly blame was my own head, my own thoughts. I had to learn the true meaning of being myself and how to want to live again. The thoughts in my head, constantly manipulating me, insulting me, tearing me apart slowly and fading out all of my originality, were relentless. This 500 word piece shows my struggle, my failure, my regret but also, describes my success, my future, and my happiness. I could not be where I am now without this hardship, without learning how to make the voices hush.

WATTPAD ORIGINAL EDITION Adrift after a failed suicide attempt, golden boy Everest can't find anything worth living for - until he meets Beverly, a loner determined to prove him wrong. ***** For a boy who seemed to have it all - wealth, good looks, popularity, a wide circle of friends - Everest Finley becomes the ultimate social outcast after failing to take his own life. Dejected and alone, he starts his last year of high school by acting out, determined to ruin his golden boy reputation after his best friend and girlfriend both turn on him. But to his surprise, resident loner Beverly Davis reaches out and tries to befriend him. Ever the optimistic, her empathy and persistence eventually convinces him to spend time with her, and the two slowly bond over their complicated family lives and a love of singing. But even as their budding friendship begins to hint at something more, Everest continues to struggle with depression and unhappiness. Can a simple pact between the two truly encourage him to find something worth living for? Content and/or Trigger Warning: this story contains mentions and descriptions of depression and self harm. -SKY