(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.