There are times when everything gets too much, and you want a ticket outa here. Game. Over. The fat lady has sung. Please end.
Contrary to what one believes in such moments, it’s not a unique experience. Most of us have been in that hopeless moment at least once, while some of us feel like citizens in the land of no hope. I find myself in and out of it; like a well-seasoned traveller, my soul wanders there often. Some people handle things better than others. Does it mean I am a lesser person because I struggle? Clichés, like “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up,” screech like chalk on a board across my mind. If you’re familiar with my fragile state of mind, read on.
Read: The floor is lava.
How about we don’t get up but stay down a while? Maybe crawl to a kneel. Choose not to send up a quick “Please bail me out if you’re there mighty saviour,” but acknowledge your absolute inability to cope. I’ve found that that is a good place to stop. A place of surrender, of admitting failure, of brutal honesty. A place where I allow my being to be scraped clean. It’s only when all my trying to cope, attempting to be strong, faking it for all ceases that I can become still so I can hear better.
One of my favourite scriptures (Ecclesiastes 9:11) says:
The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong.
It’s ok; you can stop trying so hard; that comes later. Let’s first kneel and acknowledge that we can’t get up and need help. It’s in our surrender that we find victory. Not the ‘victory’ you chant like a magic mantra hoping for the best. Victory in discovering how you walk with yourself and God, one tiny step at a time. It’s a bittersweet process, but it’s something no one can take from you. It’s yours; you paid the price for it.
We all need help along the way, and if you ever feel completely lost, reach out. I Am Youth offers free WhatsApp counselling. For more inspiration, you can listen to our podcasts on iono.fm.
As part of our initiative to educate young people and promote meaningful living through spiritual, mental and emotional wellness, I Am Youth hosted a counselling class at LIV Lanseria After School. The session helped the learners understand that there is a difference between merely having a bad day and experiencing clinical depression, anxiety or trauma symptoms. Many young South Africans are exposed to an ocean of online content that encourages […]
I Am Youth web radio is the go-to platform for today’s young adults. Our team of young, charismatic influencers is based in South Africa. We produce high-quality content on TikTok social media and YouTube. Our primary goal is to infiltrate the spaces that young people already occupy.
