I watched two movies this weekend: Unbroken and Selma and they both really put things into perspective for 
me. It can be so easy to get caught up in our personal drama. We allow it to be the sun that our world revolves around. If we aren’t careful, we can let it break our spirit, defining who we are and what we are capable of.
Broken was about a man who chose to let his circumstances motivate him rather than defeat him. Whether it was being picked on by other kids because he was the son of immigrants or being stranded on a boat for over 40 days after his plane crashed, he didn’t give up. His spirit was not broken. How many of us have been through less and held on to it for longer than we should have?
It can be easy to be swallowed whole by unpleasant circumstances. I know from personal experience. It can be easy to hold onto the anger and resentment that you feel because you don’t feel like you did anything to deserve the things that are happening to you. Where does it get you at the end of the day? Lack of forgiveness can eat us whole and stops the flow of all the good things that we do want for ourselves. We must find a way to let go of the past and focus on creating a better, brighter future and remember that forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.
Selma was about Martin Luther King Jr’s march to Montgomery to fight for blacks to exercise their right to vote. Despite the violence that this was met with and the threats on his life and his family, he persevered. People lost their lives because they believed in the struggle. How many of us have given up on things we said were important to us because we encountered obstacles, because things got hard?
If there’s one thing that I have learned, it’s that anything worth having requires determination, persistence and commitment. Quitting might seem like the easy thing to do, but it isn’t always the best thing to do. If what you want is important to you, has real meaning for you, then you have to see it through to the end, or at least give it your best effort. Sydney J. Harris’ quote sums it up perfectly: Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.
If you haven’t seen either of these movies, I highly recommend them both! Especially if you’ve been feeling like your troubles are unbearable or unbeatable. Know that others have overcome worse. Believe that what you’re experiencing in this present moment doesn’t have to define your future. Everything happens for a reason. Painful experiences help us learn how strong and resilient we really are. No matter how you might be feeling right now, know that you are stronger than you think! ♥