"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength." -Arnold Schwarzenegger

Everyone has those points in their lives that they feel as if they are doing their best, yet it just does not seem to be enough. It's those times when everything that could possibly go wrong does go wrong. It gets hard to keep your head above water. You feel as if you have done everything you possibly can, but nothing seems to go right for you. Everyone has these points in their lives. We all experience rough times. It happens when you have done all the homework you could do, but your grade is still low. You studied so hard for that exam, but you failed it. You loved that boy and did everything in your power to make him happy, but he left you brokenhearted anyway. You practiced that one play in practice over and over again until you got it right, but in the game, you still messed it up.

Sometimes it feels as if everything is falling apart, as if the path you were headed on is now a dead end. That is okay, though. Bad times make us stronger. They teach us lessons and they make us grow. Even the toughest of people or the happiest of people can feel defeated every now and then. Do not feel alone. Every person you will ever meet has gone through a period in their life where they felt as if their best just was not good enough.

Life is unpredictable and there are always going to be rough patches. During those times you will feel like giving up or that these times will never pass, but they will. When it feels as if you have nothing, have strength. Do not let your happiness or courage be controlled by external things. Your self worth is not based on these rough times. Your best is good enough. Your best is more than enough. One day that failing grade on your test will not matter. After time passes, you will be able to see that boy who left you hurting and not feel sad. Do not let the rough patches steal your happiness. Have courage and know that you can get through anything. You will get where you want to be. Life is not going to be easy. People will come and go out of your life. There will be bad days. You will not always get great grades. You are human and you will make mistakes. You will learn from those mistakes and move on. You do not need another person's love or approval. You do not need to have perfect grades or a flawless life. As a human, you will feel down sometimes, and that is okay. What makes you strong is the fact you do not give up. Even though right now you think your best is not good enough, keep on trying.