A Penny For Your Thoughts

Today, I want to talk about...Perseverance. 

per·se·ver·ance

  [pur-suh-veer-uhns] 

noun

1.

steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state,etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.

Perseverance is something that I have always had. I have been so broken that I can barely fall to my knees to pray, but I have gotten through every hard time that this damn cruel world has thrown at me. 

I won't say that I've had the hardest row to hoe in the entire world. I haven't. I know people that have it way worse than I do. But it's not a competition. Who cares who has it worse? What matters is how you handle it. Right? I think so. 

When faced with a challenge, you have to options.

Option #1:  Allow the challenge to define you. You let it win and continue to get in the way of the things that you want. 

Option #2:  Refuse to go down without a fight. It doesn't matter the obstacle, anything can be overcome with perseverance. 

I have been faced with more challenges in my short life so far than I even like to think about.  I don't wish the things that I have had to deal with on any person.  It isn't fun. I hate feeling like the entire world is against me and it just isn't ever going to get any better.  I have felt like option one was the only choice I had. It wasn't. I got through it...Perseverance is the only option. No challenge is stronger than you are. No obstacle will get in the way of the things that you want. You have to push through. You haven't any choice but to survive. To endure. To persevere. 

Currently, I'm struggling with this. I'm feeling defeated and troubled. I feel like every choice I have made up until this point was the wrong one. I feel like I screwed everything up with J I feel like I made the wrong choice joining the Army. I feel like I made the wrong choice putting my life into the hands of another. I feel stupid for thinking that I was different. 

But those feelings...They'll fade. And things will get better. The only choice I have is to kick down the doors of these rooms filled with this hate and discontent...And beat it. Defeat it. And be better for it...