There is always something striking about the person who is able to maintain a social, work and school life while, internally, everything seems to be falling apart. While it may seem like they have it all together, we rarely get to see what goes on behind closed doors, and even more importantly, what’s going on within the person, themselves.

Sometimes, what we don’t realize is that the circumstances an individual is walking through is not always the root of the problem. In most cases, it is the isolation that comes with the hardship that can be the most difficult to overcome.

Loneliness is a result, not of the circumstances themselves, but the consequences that come with unique challenges that others may not understand.

This is for the person who has tried to find community but seems to always end up with closed doors. It’s for the person who cries themselves to sleep at night because of the overwhelming weight they have to carry, alone. This is for the person who has had great wrong done to them but are afraid to speak about it, for fear of what that might bring.

I certainly don’t have all the answers, as I can honestly say that some of these struggles are very real in my own life. Even as I sit here to write this, I find it hard. It’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when you are traveling through the darkest part. However, hope isn’t a luxury, it isn’t a magic potion reserved for the lucky few. It’s a choice; a choice that must be made on the darkest days and longest nights. The choice you are faced with when it seems all the people you thought you could trust turn their backs on you. It is a choice you can make when you come to peace with your new reality.

I wish there was a way to know exactly when the hardship will end, but unfortunately, we have to learn to endure. In my journey, I have learned that it all boils down to a decision. One you choose to make. It may not always come easy, but you are resilient, you are a survivor. Even in the darkness and the isolation you can still find light.

I know firsthand that suffering alone is hard. It may seem like you are the only person who is able to understand the pain, the betrayal, the heartbreak and the injustice you face. If I can encourage you, however, you are ultimately the only person who can make the choice to rise above it, no one else can make that choice for you.

When you have reached the other side, you may have learned that the hardship worked to your advantage. There is a reason you are here today and a purpose for the hardship. You have a story. You have a story that could change lives, or maybe the life that needs the most saving is your own.

As C.S Lewis wisely stated, “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”  

Wherever your path leads, from now on, you will be able to dictate how you will respond to your circumstances. You can’t control external factors, but you can ALWAYS choose your response.