Keep Fighting
Keep Fighting. Such a simple phrase, isn't it? Two words. Twelve letters. Nothing more than just a happenstance of two words being thrown together. But what does it actually mean? More importantly, what does it mean to you?
For many years, I have battled demons, mind tricks, and an overwhelming damper on my soul. For many years, I felt like I was in bondage to myself, to my feelings, to my thoughts, and my worries. If I’m not worrying about something, then I am worried about not worrying. If that makes any sense. But I'll never forget what happened last summer. My panic attacks had been happening all summer. Numerous, numerous nights where I would lay in bed and felt like I was having a heart attack, or that I was about to die. The heart-wrenching fear that this was it, that nothing could help me, that nothing could save me. That I'd have to lay there and suffer. Even after two DMs on Twitter from my hero, Jamie Tworkowski who reached out to help me one night, I still felt this helpless, struggling, paining fear. It occurred often. Way too often.
Well, one night, after working Warped Tour all day, I came home and had a panic attack. On my living room couch. I fell over and laid there. Kicking, screaming, crying, panicking. Feeling hopeless, and that this was it. This is how I live. My parents sat there, not knowing what to do. But I remember one thing in particular. My father told me to keep fighting. To fight it off. To get through it. Because I was more than this. Ever since then, I've stuck with that. Those two words have found me numerous times. It's the moral of my story, thus far. Again, what do those two small words mean to you?
What I've learned from those hardships, and those two words is that you can't give up, no matter what. That you can't let the darkness win, no matter what it may be, no matter how dark it seems, no matter how far down in a pit that you may feel. You can't give up. Whether you feel like giving up on love, or life, or a job, or in school, or a friend or family member. Don't. Don't give up on something prematurely. Don't miss the miracle. Keep fighting. Believe in better things. Believe in yourself. Believe that your situation can improve because it will. Have faith in that. Live by that. Know that you deserve to be happy, you deserve love, you deserve great and magical things.
But most importantly, know that you deserve life. Life is such a precious gift. Life is so fragile, and it is most certainly taken for granted by a lot of us. But don't ever think that you're not here for a reason. Think about it, the most wonderful success stories didn't come easy. The greatest rewards are the results of struggles and fighting. Nothing comes easy, nothing comes free. I swear to you that life is worth it. That no matter how bad your past may be, it has nothing on how beautiful your future can be. That your struggles, your losses, and your pain are part of a much bigger story. That anything you're going through can be used for better purposes. You just have to believe that it will. Keep fighting. You're not alone. Keep fighting. This too shall pass. Keep fighting. Find your motivation. Keep fighting.
- Taylor
To me, keep fighting means only one thing: perseverance. For those who struggle or are stressed out just know that you can overcome whatever is going on. To “keep fighting” means you are strong and can overcome anything. It may be a rough journey, but you can do it. Battling with anxiety for years made me realize that no situation is going to be perfect. I will stress out over something so small and I will end up not wanting to open up and be myself. It doesn’t happen every day but it’s often enough that I know I can’t let it take over my life. I will keep fighting it until I can overcome it. It’s a simple “are you okay?” or “let’s leave” that makes my friends absolutely amazing. I know I will have this for the rest of my life but I’m learning to deal with it and control it. It’s my own personal demon but I’m facing it head-on. “Keep fighting” is something I tell myself daily to battle that demon and others like being stressed out all the time from school, work, etc. For those who have bigger, darker demons just know that it is a wimp and you can knock the crap out of it. Keep fighting it every day until you win, because you will no matter what. Being able to fight against something that controls your daily life makes you the strongest person ever. You can do this, you can keep fighting. Believe in yourself.
Just believe,
Courtney
Imagine walking into school every day as a third grader knowing that you're going to be harassed. Imagine crying every day after school the second you jumped into your mom’s car. Now imagine facing that in 4th grade. 5th grade. 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th grade. That was, and is, my life.
It started with "four-eyes". I got glasses, like so many other kids. For some reason though, it was me who they targeted. It then progressed onto words about my skin color, including "pale freak" and a threat to have paint dumped on me. The words then progressed to actions. A friend I'd had for years turned on me and knocked books out of my hand in the hallway. In my 8th grade year, I left my science class one day to help set up for a dance. I was gone for an hour and came back to class to my books, papers, and belongings spread around the classroom floor. My teacher then ordered me to pick them up in front of the whole class. There I was, on my hands and knees, picking up my belongings that my "friends" had spread about as they laughed. I excused myself to the bathroom and cried. There was the day that no one talked to me. No one sat with me at lunch, no one asked me how I was doing. Just...silence. There were days when I felt like no one cared. It felt like nothing I did could make anyone care.
I can't tell you how many days I almost gave up. I can't tell you how scary it was to look in the mirror and feel like I wasn't enough and that things would be better if I didn't have to face them anymore. There aren't words to explain the pain I would feel when I ate or when I walked into the bathroom and saw the medicine cabinet. I was believing the words I was told. I was thinking I wasn't pretty enough, I wasn't skinny enough, I wasn't tan enough, and I wasn't smart enough to be here. My life was spiraling out of control.
It was hard to not give in, but I didn't. I knew it was so important to keep fighting. I had to reinforce to myself that I was worth something and that no one, no one, could ever take that value away.
I'm not gonna sit here and tell you it's easy. It sure as hell isn't easy. There are still days when I take a joke as a snide remark. I'm overly sensitive and I'm bitter. Bullying has changed my life and it will never be the same. I, however, wouldn't be the person I am today without it. If I hadn't been forced to keep fighting, to know what it's like to be alone, to know what it's like to be forgotten, I would be a completely different person.
I know you can fight through this. I know that you can keep fighting until things are right again. And I'm here for you as you fight.
Fearlessly,
Sarah
Keep fighting. A simple saying that means so much. For me, personally, it's something that I need to constantly remind myself to do. For as long as I can remember I've had very little self-confidence. In myself, in what I do, what I create, anything. I make the mistake of comparing the accomplishments of others to my own and make myself feel like an amateur, even in things I'm good at. I don't always feel good enough. I make myself anxious over almost everything because I'm afraid of the unknown. I don't want to make mistakes, I'm afraid of being wrong. I let the nervous energy take over and just don't do things that need to be done or I don't act like myself and make things worse. I have a tendency to take cover in my comfort zone, to avoid making myself feel so overwhelmed. At the end that never works and I cause unnecessary stress because I know what I should be doing and what I'm actually doing. The worst part of all of this is I recognize that it's happening.
I've recently come to realize that despite all of this I need to keep fighting. These struggles won't ever go away, but that doesn't mean I should give up. Rather than giving in the best way to strive towards happiness is to keep going. Kick your demons down when you feel them creeping in. Remind yourself that you're better than them and so much stronger. I know it's hard, and if you need to scream, cry, dance, laugh whatever makes you feel better; blast your favorite song in your bedroom and sing along at the top of your lungs; write down everything your feeling on a piece of paper and rip it to shreds. It'll help you clear your head and lift a little weight off your shoulders. No matter what you're going through you have to remember that you're not alone. You are not the only one who has felt this way before. There are people out there who love and believe in you and want you to succeed. We are just a few of those people. People that will work with you and be there through your failures and your accomplishments. Never doubt that you are worthy, beautiful, strong, and here for a reason.
Keep dreaming. Keep fighting.
Maire
Keep fighting. You can do this. You can get through this. These are words I tell myself on almost a daily basis. I classify myself as a perfectionist in more ways one, and this has caused me to suffer from mild anxiety. Ever since Kindergarten, I pushed myself to do and be my very best, and anything less than that simply was not good enough for me. I despise feeling as though I am not good enough. Thirteen years later, I'm a senior in high school and I still feel this way about most things. If I make a mistake or I feel as though I am doing something completely wrong, I start to cry. Then this overwhelming feeling of guilt washes over me and I start to sob and scold myself in the harshest way: You are so stupid. This is not hard. Just write the answer. Then... I pause. I take a break from the homework and essays and give myself a moment. It can be difficult sometimes, but I force a pep talk to myself: You took these classes for a reason. You know you can do it. This will pay off in the long run. Just get through it, and you will be okay. Keep fighting. This happens more often than it probably should and I have no idea as to why I cannot stop feeling this way. But that is just it... It is just who I am. I am a perfectionist with symptoms of OCD, but that is what makes me, I and I am darn proud of it.
This is all you have to do. You have an obligation to yourself to make yourself feel good about who you are, no matter what it takes. We all have our flaws, but that is exactly what makes you beautiful. You are perfectly imperfect. These personality traits you think maybe a massive burden now can be what makes you the next CEO or the next Editor-In-Chief or the next big talk show host. I am not going to sugarcoat it... It is hard. It is SO hard to make yourself actually feel confident in who you truly are. Heck, that feeling is almost unheard of in today's society, but that does not mean you are not capable of doing so. As I said before, I am seventeen-years-old and a senior in high school and I have finally gained some self-confidence. It IS possible. I promise. I challenge you to stand in front of the mirror and look at yourself and list all of the things you absolutely love about yourself. This may seem like a daunting task at first, but it works... It actually works. You were put on this earth for a reason. That reason may not have made itself clear just yet, but it will. Life is a beautiful thing and you deserve to live every single second of it. Be patient. Life may be difficult right now, but you can get through it. You matter. You have a purpose. You are worth it. And you are beautiful. Stay strong. Keep fighting.
Stay beautiful,
Andrea
You've been kicked around, put down, and you're close to giving in. Giving in to the pain, heartache, and lies. But you stop when you see yourself in the mirror. You see every scar and every story that's never been told. You stand up straight and wipe away the tears. "Keep going." That's all you have to say. "You can do this. One foot right after the other. It can only get better from here." You stand a little taller and smirk.
I wish it were always that easy for everyone. I wish that I could take all your pain and throw it away. Life is hard. It's hard for everyone. We don't all go through the same exact struggles in the same pattern. But on more than one occasion your struggle will coincide with someone else's. They may be a complete stranger or a close friend, but they're going through it too. They are your proof that you are not alone in this. What happens when you're struggling but everyone else isn't? You start to doubt your capability and who you are. Don't. Some people cover the struggle well. Speak to someone when you're going through a tough time. Write it down in a journal. Sing about it. Dance it out. Ride a bike. Take a run. Put the anger, confusion, and pain in your art, in your passion. The thing that keeps you going. The thing that makes you happy makes you feel alive.
I could sit here and lie to you. I could tell you that you go through one big struggle and the rest is a piece of cake but I won't. There are daily struggles, some big and some small. There will be at least once when your world feels like it's spinning. You know what though? You're a beautiful, strong fighter. You can make it through this. You can run straight through that obstacle or walk step-by-step. It doesn't matter how fast or slow you go, it just matters that you keep going. You must keep your head up high enough to see that it gets better from here. That you can be happy, healthy, and feel free. You can go live your wildest dream. You can find love. That you are so worthy of this beautiful, crazy life.
One more thing, you're never alone. You have us. Our inbox is always open. When you feel like you can't move on, we will be there. We will be there to remind you of how incredible you are. Email us. When you feel lost, worthless, and scared; email us. We will help you fight on.
You are more amazing than you will ever give yourself credit for.
With love,
Cydney