song: saturn by sleeping at last

read time: 5 minutes

your life is a story.

right now, it may seem like nothing is going right. right now, it may seem like you’re putting a lot of work in and nothing is lining up. right now, it may seem like you are in a desert. right now, it may seem like life is against you.

while in the midst of conflict, it’s hard to see outside of the situation — be encouraged, because your life is a story and a good story never ends with absolute turmoil and conflict.

okay, let me explain.

pick a movie. think of the character. think of the storyline.

i can pretty much guarantee that the main character you are thinking of right now has come up against some type of obstacle, struggle, conflict, or some kind of setback that at the time seemed overwhelming and devastating. in the moment, the main character may have felt like there was no possible solution or redemption for their situation.

but that’s not the case, is it?

something happens.

in every good story, someone comes to the main character — a messenger. the messenger gives the struggling character a pep-talk, reminds them of who they really are, and that they were made for greatness. the messenger speaks truth and helps the main character shift their perspective seeing that they are greater than the obstacles they face. then, something magical happens — hope and courage rises within the main character.

the main character then is able to move with boldness and bravery to overcome their obstacle. they put up a fight for what they want, for what they believe in, for what they hope for — and in the end, they win. the story always ends with the main character experiencing victory.

without struggle, the story is just blah. there’s nothing to the story that makes it compelling, interesting, and inspiring. every good story includes conflict.

think about it— if cinderella never had an evil stepmother and equally evil stepsisters that tried to keep her from attending the royal ball, the story would lose it’s compelling factor. in the moment, when cinderella was locked up in the attic — she was probably thinking and feeling “there’s no hope for me!” but what happened? a messenger came — the fairy godmother — who instilled confidence in cinderella and gave her a dress to attend the royal ball

okay, so without the the evil stepmother, without the conflict — the age old tale of cinderella would be a boring story. don’t you think? no one retell it — because it’s not relatable. it’s not a story that gives you the feels and that “me too” moment. it’s just a quaint story of perfection that is quite honestly— unrealistic.

here is what i am trying to say—

right now, you may feel like you are living in your own personal hell. right now, you may be questioning why things happen. right now you may be so confused as to who you are, where you are going, or what the next step is for you.

that’s okay. the conflict you are experiencing is all a part of the story process, because your life is a story. so, yes — there will be conflict, there will be struggle. but the conflict doesn’t have to defeat you or overtake you.

in fact, the conflict that you are facing now is not the thing that is going to stop you, it’s just a detour. but, you, as the main character, have to be determined that the conflict you are facing right now is not going to stop you. you have to be determined to find your turning point, or rather, the climax of your story. every story has a climax, a resolution — that’s how stories work. which means, there is resolution for you, too. there is victory for you, there is hope hope for you, there is something past this big bad looming conflict that holds goodness for you.

in any story, the main character gets to the climax of their story because there is a shift in their perspective. so the question for you is — how can you shift your perspective right now in order to help you conquer the conflict in your own story?

once the character has changed their perspective, something happens within — hope rises. the main character comes to a realization that they were destined to be victorious and that the conflict they are facing has no real power or right to stop them from pursuing their dreams, goals, and the life the want to live.

so, right now, wherever you are —

it’s time to come to that conclusion yourself.

yeah, you may be facing something that seems impossible. perhaps, it’s a recent occurrence or maybe it’s something you’ve been struggling with for a long time, but have never wanted to admit. maybe it seems like there can and never will be resolution for you.

whatever your conflict is, know this: there is always hope. there is always a climax, a turning point to a story —and your story is no exception.

not only are you the main character in your story, but you are also the author, which means — you have the opportunity to write and shape your story. so how will it go? what will happen?

will you wallow in defeat? will you be held back by fear? will you be paralyzed by the unknown?

or will you rise up with courage and move with bravery in the pursuit of the life you want?

no one else can write the story for you — it’s up to you.

so write well, live well.

rise up with courage — you are stronger than you think. you are greater than you think. you can and you will overcome the conflict you are facing, because you were destined for victory.

your story has the ability to inspire and influence the lives of others. dig deep within yourself — there’s courage inside of you. don’t let the conflict and struggle you are facing today stop you from pursuing the life you want. hope exists. cling to it. believe in it. this moment, the moment of unquenchable tears, the moment of fear and unblief— it is not your ending. your story is still be written.

go make your story one that matters — one that is retold and inspires other that they too can rise above the conflict they face. your story is becoming something breathtakingly beautiful.