The Light At The End Of The Tunnel Is Your Own

It happens to all of us: one day we’re walking around with our chins up in the air and our rose-colored glasses sitting snugly on our noses, when all of a sudden it all comes crashing down. Whether it’s a work dispute or a love dilemma, any unexpected negativity is guaranteed to be devastating.

It’s in those moments where we feel like we’ve hit rock bottom and it’s impossible to fall any lower. For some even more misfortunate circumstances, life likes to throw even more trouble your way and make you reevaluate your thoughts about how low you’ve actually fallen. It happens. And while every situation is unique and specially designed to torment you the way it can’t torment anybody else, there is ALWAYS a way out.

It’s the struggle we grow from and the journey to the light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes it takes a week to heal and reach that point of positivity; sometimes it takes years. Regardless of the situation and the period of recovery, one thing remains the same: that light at the end of the tunnel is controlled by not one but you.

It’s important to understand what that light is. What does that expression even mean? You’re in a dark place and are consumed by negative thoughts and feelings, so much sometimes that you become indifferent to many of things you once had a passion for. So where is it that you’re supposed to find this so-called “light?”

First and foremost, it’s important to understand one thing and one thing only. Regardless how deep in your shit you are, how far you’ve fallen, or how weak the devastation made you, no one will get you out of it. It’s completely up to you.

If you’re fortunate enough to have friends and family that care about you, they will definitely try to help. But at the end of the day, no one is going to move your feet for you. You can have a thousand hands pushing against your bones, but if you’re unwilling to change your situation and make it better yourself, those hands do nothing but push dead weight.

So what is that light? That light consists of everything true to you. The things you’re passionate about, the things and people you love, your favorite scents and smells, and the boiling desires you hold in the pit of your stomach. All of these things combined fuel that light. Those things come to a halt in the midst of devastation during a strenuous point in your life, but that is what you have to look for to get out.

When you’re down in the dumps and feel almost unaffected by everything happening around you, it’s extremely hard to focus on anything but the stress. After some time, if things don’t get put away in their proper locations or disputes don’t get settled, that stress begins to branch out and consume you, so much so that even the thought of the things that sustain your happiness seems out of reach.

We all wish there were some step-by-step instructions as to how to get out of the messes we’ve made in our heads and in our lives, but unfortunately, there aren’t. Some say time heals all wounds, and that is very true. It takes time to recover and get back into your stabilized mindset and habits.

However, time is irrelevant if you choose to stay immobile. There is a time for the healing process, however, if you completely stop living your life and do absolutely nothing to change your circumstances, the reason is because you want to live that way (or rather, not live at all.)

That light of yours will flicker from time to time and you will lose sight of the important things in life. It happens to everyone and no one is immune to the tragedies of human existence. However, you have to know who you are and know what you have; those will be the things to guide you when everything comes tumbling down.

If there is anything you can take from this short article, it’s this: If you’ve reached rock bottom, that light at the end of the tunnel is and will always be there because you control it. It never goes out; it only becomes invisible when YOU want it to be so.

Do not depend on anything or anyone else to brighten it up again, only you have the power to do so. You will never get anywhere or get out of anything if you don’t have the willpower. There is no greater strength than that which you possess yourself. That is what will guide you to a better place. That is what makes you Elite.

Kathy Polo