Overcoming
By Jen, age 16, Indiana
Who We Are
People underestimate us. We've been through the looks, the thoughts, the fears, the fights, the tears, and the pain. As people we will all encounter times when we feel like there is no turning back. We're dragged down, and we're gonna stay down. The world continues to put weight on our shoulders. We try and try, and we keep saying to ourselves, "We can't be this vulnerable. We can't be so weak." And we're not. We're stronger than they think we are.We are the future of our world. We are the ones who have to learn about life for the sake of our future. We are the ones who hurt, and we are the ones who depend on "trying" to get by in life. Teenage years may be a part of life, but absolutely the part with the most struggles. The tough stuff hits us hard. Stress and relationships put us through horrible times. We have busy lives that leave our minds spinning. We have pressure all around us, even from our parents. Break-ups and family issues leave us in the dark with pain. Life at this point isn't looking up.
What We're Set Out to Do
We're trying to accomplish this year. We're trying to accomplish this month, this week, this day. It's so hard to do, especially as the world continues to pull us down to the ground. From our experiences, our mistakes, our fears, and our surroundings, we've found this life to be much harder than we expected. It is now that life starts to make a difference. And it is now that society starts to look at us and throw things at us. But I tell all of you, right here and now, that there is no such thing as alone. Loneliness will never be a factor in accomplishing this life. We are united, and we support and we love. And together we can make it.We have school. We have jobs. We have sports and clubs and homework. We have family nights and goals to accomplish. Throw in a few depressing situations, and there you have the average teenage life. When the world seems to throw stuff like this on us, how can we manage our already terribly overflowed lives?
We overcome them and continue to live. Not so simple, but we can all become masters at it.
How to Get There
Overcoming is believing. Believe in living and loving, accepting our mistakes and our past, and honoring those times when we just need to cry.1. When you just can't take the pain, don't keep it inside.
2. When you make mistakes, know that you're only human.
3. If you just can't let it go, find someone who can help.
4. If you just can't find a way out, grab a different perspective, and find a hand to hold.
5. If you feel broken, take a rest. Let it heal.
And lastly,
6. If you need some love, you know where to go.
Living the Life
We can make it. If there's anything to give us hope, it's the truth that there really is no loneliness when it comes to living life. We are strong. We love and we live. And when life tries to pull us down, we can make it through. We can overcome it without the blade on our wrist or the bottle in our hands. We will learn from our now, and we will live like no other. No matter what we accomplish in life, we'll never do it alone.That is worth living for.
