You.

Yes, you.

You with the sad soul. Smile.

Right now you’re feeling down and you don’t think you remember how to climb back up. Looking up from the bottom of a mental rut is a pretty daunting experience, especially when your mind keeps telling you how bad you are at climbing.

Yo dude. I know this is hard and you’re wondering why this is happening to you. You’re lying in a metaphorical (or literal?) fetal position, rocking back and forth, wondering how on earth you’re going to get all the way back up there, where the happy feelings keep waving down at you.

It feels unfair.

Why can’t those feelings just come down to you on their own and do the lifting for you?

Why can’t they at least make themselves a bit closer to your level, so reaching them would be easier for you?

Do yourself a favor, and stop asking these questions.

You will not be lifted. You have to climb.

Your mind is playing tricks on you. It’s only letting you see how far you feel from happiness. It’s not paying attention to the single steps by your side, scaling steadily up your path.

Tell your mind to show you the strength it’s been hiding from you. That’s the gear you need to get to the top.

Happiness will not come down to you, nor will it create shortcuts to make your journey less stringent. Why would you settle for happiness that’s lowered itself? Because it’s easier to reach? That’s insulting to yourself. You deserve so much more than your mind thinks you can achieve.

The higher the climb, the better the view.

Not too long ago, I was stuck in my own rut. I was terrified of the distance I knew I had to cover, and feeling defeated by the obstacles I saw along my path. I remember contemplating why reaching the top was even worth the energy.

In response to my doubts, someone very dear to my heart said to me,

“Because it’s beautiful, and I would never settle for anything less beautiful, and neither should you.”

Only you can choose how long you’re going to cradle your knees on the bottom floor; pretending you don’t need or deserve or know how to achieve the happy feelings your soul has longed for.

The obstacles you face are only what you allow them to be. If something knocks you down or blocks your way, you have two options.

Your first option is to sit and let yourself stay low, basking in the sad fact that your journey to happiness is being detained.

Your second option is to stand up, look around the obstacle, and choose a new, sturdier rock to grip onto that will lead you to a better path to follow upward.

The choice is yours. Are you going to stay down, or are you going to choose to find your way up? I know you wish the emotional gravity would just cease to exist in the first place, but imagine what your life would be like without ups and downs. With no downs, you can’t appreciate the ups. Flat life would be incredibly boring.

You are in charge of how much this fall will impact your future height. You say you’ve fallen pretty deep? The peak you reach will be that much higher. The view from the top will be that much better.

You’ve got this.