Surviving Your Own Darkness
Growing up, I often heard the saying, “Be the best of the best!” That does not mean being the greatest or being number one. It means giving something everything you have. It is not settling for where you are. It is pressing forward and believing there is more for you, even when surviving your own darkness is all you can manage right now.
What my family’s hardest years taught me
During my childhood I went through a lot of ups and downs. From a young age I was aware of the hardship and the daily challenges my parents faced. There were days when there was not much food in the house, or we could not pay that month’s rent. Debt collectors calling and harassing us was a daily occurrence too.
But even in those dark moments, my parents would get back up, believing that life could get better and change if they did not give up.
We knew my dad had what it took to be an incredible salesman. He had a charisma that could draw people around him and get them chasing the goal. We pulled together during those times for support. We created an atmosphere of hope inside our home. I remember learning to be happy in the middle of a crisis. All of us did what we could as a family to hold each other up. I had a job, and every week I handed my paycheck to my dad until he could get back on his feet with work.
Later a turnaround came, and he was given an incredible opportunity to start a company with another gentleman. From that point on, I cannot say everything was easy, but we knew how to stand and believe in our future. Even when others came against us and told us we would never amount to anything, we laughed and kept moving toward our victory, and here we are today.
Surviving your own darkness: what do you do in the middle of it?
My goal in telling this story is to encourage those of you who may be in a situation similar to the one we were in all those years ago. When you are in the middle of the darkness, do not give up. Your time is coming. Just hold on.
Through education, I keep seeing so many people come out of their own darkness and go on to thrive and stand out in their occupations. Remember to keep moving forward and never give up!
Four ways to survive your own darkness
I want to leave you with a few tips on how to survive the darkness:
- Understand where your strength comes from, and focus on that.
- Never lose sight of your dream. It is still there.
- Find your support group. They will keep you positive.
- Keep your confidence high by reading motivational books.
Finally, remember that victory is right around the corner, so do not give up!
The book I wrote for exactly this fight, for the years of surviving your own darkness, is Winning the Game of Life. If you would rather have someone walking it with you, look at the mentorship tracks.
Frequently asked questions
How do you keep going when everything is falling apart?
Four things carried my family: understand where your strength comes from, never lose sight of the dream, find a support group that keeps you positive, and keep your confidence high by reading. None of them removes the crisis, all of them keep you standing inside of it.
Does a dark season mean I did something wrong?
No. My parents were faithful and still lost everything more than once. What decided the outcome was that they got back up, believed life could change, and refused to quit while the turnaround was still on its way.
Keep reading
Surviving your own darkness is never a single decision. These three carry the same story from a different angle.