Ever have those days (weeks, months, years) that feel like it is one blow after another? If you don’t, I’d count your blessings. When the hardships come, it’s easy to assume the world is falling apart, or I was somehow in control of causing the chaos.

Whether we believe in a higher power, the universe, fate, karma, or none of those things, we can use these adversities to look for the lessons. That’s much easier said than done – and it’s possible. Life can hit the deepest lows, and there’s nowhere to go but up. Our ultimate destiny isn’t ours to know and it’s ours to pursue, no matter the obstacles.

I expect us to cry, scream, get angry, be disappointed, or feel lost or confused by whatever is happening, but not to let the events prevail. They can’t. When they win, we aren’t able to achieve who we’re destined to become. Life isn’t about winning and losing. It’s about finding what each moment is trying to teach us and learning from it. Pursue your destiny, folks.

Kristen Ellis

Kristen has worked in the mental health field since 2013, with a focus on crisis work, substance use services, and bringing a voice to lived experience. Her ambition is to change the way mental health care and recovery is seen and achieved, so to redefine what it means to defeat adversity.