Dear Beautiful You

Photo by Leland Francisco

Dear Beautiful You,

Life may seem hard at the moment but please know that it isn't always like this.

You are here for a reason. You are here to do amazing things and to see a world that is as beautiful as you are.

You are worth more than what your brain, or your environment, is telling you that you are. The things that you have to offer the world are far greater than you can imagine.

You, and your flaws, are beautiful, and always have been. Don't let anyone tell you any differently.

Reach out to those around you; your friends, your family, strangers on Facebook, someone on the end of the phone. There is someone, out there in the great ether, who is ready to listen and to take some of the burden from you.

You may feel as though life is crushing you to the point of no return but don't allow it to do that. There is more to this world than the darkness that encompasses you. Many before you have passed through those dark moments and gone on to live great and wonderful lives. You're here, in the now, and able to join them.

Join them on amazing journeys. Create incredible art. Sing like no one's listening. Dance like no one's watching. Laugh until your body aches. Sleep for as long as you so wish. Watch that movie you've been intending to watch. Read the book that's been sitting by your bedside for the past six months. Eat the chocolate that's in your fridge.

There is more to life than what you're seeing and feeling right now. The darkness may be trying to drag you under. But once the storm has passed, you will be free once more.

Help is there for you. Help is always there. If you're too tired to reach for it yourself, ask someone to do it for you. There will be someone, maybe a friend, maybe a stranger, who will do what you are too tired to do and help to put you on to a path of healing.

You are not alone in this world. There are so many others who, just like you, think that the darkness will never lift. Find one another. Embrace each other. Talk. Work through the darkness together and banish the loneliness that encompasses your soul.

Don't listen to the naysayers. Don't listen to those who tell you that there is only one way of healing. There are many ways and you will find one that works for you. Maybe it'll be on the first attempt. Maybe it'll be on the tenth attempt. But you'll find a way to ease the aches and pains of an unforgiving mind.

You, my darling, are so very brave. For every day you wake up to battle the demons that left you so very tired the night before. Keep on fighting, for your battle is an inspiration to so many people around you.

Life does get better. It may not seem like it now but it will. Rest your weary soul and look through the darkness to find the light of hope.

Because there is always hope.

There is always hope.

Be Like The Cat

This is Crumpet. She's about two and a half years old and lives with my brother. Other than her Mum and Dad, there's several other things that she loves.

Sleeping

Eating

And occasionally helping me to write.

She's sassy, classy, and a little bit bad assy. And we love her to the ends of the Earth.

Unlike us, she generally doesn't care about the little things in life. As long as her food bowl is full, the cat flap is unlocked, and the bed is warm, she's happy. She doesn't care what you think of her. She doesn't the sweat the big things in life like whether it's too cold to go out hunting. If it makes her happy, she'll go and do it.

So what can we, as humans, learn from cats in order to make us happier?

Love Yourself First

It's been said a million times but cats love themselves more than the love us. They were once worshipped as gods and have never forgotten this. Putting yourself first is a priority. If you don't then you can quickly become run down, sick, overloaded, and stressed. Take time out for yourself. Read a book (with or without a cat trying to read it with you). Take a long bath. Sleep for however long you want to sleep.

Sleep is Beautiful

Crumpet loves a good sleep, and so should you. Cats will rest whenever they wish, and there's a valuable lesson in that. When you're tired, sleep. Don't force yourself to stay awake because it's not “bed time”. Cats teach us that every minute is a potential time to have a sleep. If your body is exhausted then it's trying to tell you something. Hop in to bed and have a snooze no matter what the hour is.

Conquer Your Fears

When winter rolls around, one of Crumpet's favourite places is on top of the boiler. It's not an easy area to access yet she's worked out how to reach it. If your fears are holding you back there's no way that you'll reach the places you want to go. Facing whatever scares you is one of the most important things you can do to help yourself progress in life. And if at first you don't succeed then keep on trying. Just because it didn't work out the first time doesn't mean that it won't work out on the second, third, or fourth time.

Bury It

If something is getting you down, take a leaf from the Book of Cat and bury it. Bury it and walk away. Sure, our emotional and psychological pain is far greater than whatever the cat's burying but the principle is the same. They're getting rid of the waste in the lives and walking away, forgetting about it in the process. We can do the same, whether it's mentally or physically. On the physical plane, you can can write a letter of the things that you wish to eject from your life and then bury it in your garden. If you don't have a garden, tearing it up and tossing it in the rubbish also works. The physical task of letting these things out and disposing of them is a great relief.

Be like Crumpet. Be sassy, classy, and a little bit badassy. And fill your life with warm sunbeams, deep beds, and good food.

Posted in memory of Crumpet's sister, Pickle (aka Little Picklelilly).