Why does my life suck?

         Why does my life suck?  I can't tell you how many times I've asked this question.  I went through a long stretch where my everyday experience was quite shitty.  My friends didn't get me, work was brutal, my health was piss-poor, nothing seemed to be going well.   Life just really sucked.  

         Does any of this resonate with you?  I almost hope not - I would never want another human to feel such misery about life.  If it does though, it's ok.  I've been there.  I was in that hole for a long time before clawing my way out.  Now that I've made it out I feel like life is full of possibility, adventure, fun, and fulfillment.  

         Don't get me wrong, my life is not perfect.  I still face challenges, heartaches, confusions, and setbacks.  I don't have it all figured out by any stretch of the imagination.  But a great deal of the time I feel good, hopeful, optimistic and driven.  I am a completely different person than I was 10 years ago.  

         So what's the secret?  How did I change my life so dramatically?  I would sum it up simply: being open-hearted.  Being open to new experiences, new points of view, new ideas, new connections, new possibilities.  This is how most kids live, from a place of open-heartedness.  

         But this begs the question, why did I go from being an open-hearted kid to a close-hearted adult?  Well, because life beat me up, over and over again.  I got hurt, I got scared, and I shut down.  I closed the door to my own heart because I simply couldn't handle anymore failure, rejection, heartbreak, or dashed hopes.

         Can you relate to any of this?  We have a rough go of it as humans, especially during those formative years.  No matter how much life has kicked your butt, it's never too late to heal.  It's never too late to mend old hurts, face old fears, and open your heart again.  

         I worked very hard to find and resolve emotions that had been stuck deep within.  I had a lot of help in this from some wonderful therapists, coaches, and holistically-oriented practitioners.  I never gave up.  Even when the mountain of unprocessed emotions seemed insurmountable, I held onto faith that one day I would climb out of my hole and see daylight again.

         Life is what you make it.  You get to choose.  Will you believe in hope, believe in second chances?  You are my brother and my sister - I will never give up on you.  You are so much more than you realize, your potential is truly unlimited.  Love will show you the way, if you will but open your heart and let it in.