No Matter What Life Brings You, Promise Yourself This

Life is this crazy, unexpected ride that always teaches us and changes us. We are in for something so much bigger than our brains can handle at times. The world is big. It is full of people, experiences, places, and twists and turns, and I want you to promise yourself to always enjoy it and make the best out of it. I want you to be the best possible version of yourself. I want you to live with an open heart.

Life has this way of having the capacity to make you so in awe of a beautiful moment that it brings you to tears, and it also has the capacity to break your heart into a million pieces. The tides of our lives change, and our stories are always being rewritten with so many contrasting moments and feelings. It makes you question yourself and everything around you. Life makes you sometimes push through it and sometimes slowly pull from it. It is a collection of a multiplicity of moments adding up all the time in each of our heads. Amidst all of these moments, there is you, absorbing it in and constantly reacting. There is you constantly in the making, a million personas in one, coexisting together, each of them expressing themselves at one point in time.

Therefore, as intense as life can get, these are promises I want you to stand by as you navigate your life. I want you to believe in yourself and your capabilities. I want you to see your own light when no one else can. I want you to work on growing yourself as long as the sun shows up, because that means you are becoming closer to yourself every single day. I want you to promise to find meaning in your life and commit to progress. I want you to give back something to the world and not let your gifts go to waste. I want you to get back up after every failure, because life is worth it as long as you’re trying to make something out of it.

I want you to never stop believing in the goodness of people, including your own. Search for their qualities before their flaws, even when it seems so difficult. Be the first to give, to show up, to be of help. Be the first to remind others of their abilities. Be people’s builder and do not tear others down. Sometimes people will disappoint you, and sometimes you will disappoint others. Sometimes you will not stand the people you love the most, but do not give up on them. We are all here trying at something, so when times get tough, always remember that people are not completely black or completely white.

I want you to love with an open heart, even though it will hurt at times. Love deeply and gently. Love with all you have got, and shower those you love with care. Love is a great healing power, and it moves mountains. It is never lost or wasted. It only teaches you lessons, even if they are hard sometimes. I want you to fall in love with the world you are going to be part of, your family, your job, your city, and yourself. I want you to fall in love with life. The more you love and appreciate what you have, the more you will receive from life.

I want you to always stay honest with yourself and those around you. Stand by what you believe in. Stand by your dreams. Do not compromise your identity. Do not lose your voice in the midst of chaos. Show up every day as yourself; speak your mind and let the world know the rivers in you. Find people who inspire you and learn from them. Be selective of those you choose to spend time with.

Have a hunger for knowledge. Learn more about the world you live in. There is endless substance others before you left for you to delve into and become more interested in life. Do not be afraid to change opinions and ways of thinking. Do not be afraid to change and develop, even if it has nothing to do with who you once were. Be okay with taking off an identity that no longer fits you.

Keep a curiosity for new experiences. There is something magical and refreshing about first times. They add so many more feelings and memories and depth to your being. Be willing to be brave and not actively put labels on who you are. Experiment and explore anything that excites you if you have the means to.

Practice patience, forgiveness, and actively purifying your heart of any destructive behavior. You need these practices immensely for your own sanity and well-being. Things take time; things get messed up. People misunderstand each other and wrong each other, but at the end of the day, it’s always good to keep a clean slate. Carrying baggage through your life never helps you fly.

Do not be afraid to mess up — be wrong and admit it. Learn from your mistakes and laugh at yourself every once in a while. Find the humor in difficult situations, and charm life by your capacity to find joy in the worst of circumstances. Life will feel so much lighter that way.

When you are dealing with others, always remember that you have the power to set the boundaries on how they treat you and that it is okay to leave if they do not value you. Be careful who you give chunks of your heart to and how they treat you in return. Always remember that the world is full of people willing to treat you the way you deserve to be treated if you acknowledge your own worth and step away from those who do not add beauty to your life.

Lastly, be present in the moment. Enjoy sipping that tea. Feel its warmth and taste on your tongue. Give your undivided attention to your loved ones and listen to what they are really saying. When you do something, give it your all, whether it is work, love, or resting. Be mindful and aware of yourself. Take breaks when you need to — just breathe and sit still.

Whatever you may be going through, just remember that all you are here to do is to just live and be. I want you to promise yourself that, despite the darkest storms and the endless noise of your life, you are strong enough to live your life and enjoy it. I want you to know that despite any of your failings or shortcomings, nothing is the end unless you decide it to be. I want you to know that despite the impossible and the unbearable, you will love, show up, forgive, be patient, mess up, and learn. Promise me that even when you fail to do so, you’re always going to try to get up and live with an open heart again, because that is what it means to be truly alive.