yoU aRe…

This post is for the people who are on the down and outs. The discouraged. The dreamers. The blue collar backbone of our beaten world. The people who have nowhere else to turn to. The people who have three figures or less in their savings account, much less checking. The people who see more light than darkness but allows the cold void to creep in from time to time.

This post is for the girl who is thinking about quitting a dream she excels at and is currently chasing because she feels like the timing isn’t right and considers settling for mediocrity when she knows deep down inside her soul that she shouldn’t do any of that.

This post is for the guy who thinks he is not good enough when he sees the competition and doubt begins to eat at him from the inside out so he contemplates putting his dream on a dusty shelf and coming back to it at a future linear point in time.

This post is for the weary soul that is tired of walking any further and would rather wither away in rest than struggle a little longer and finally crawl into manifestation.

This post is for the person whose spirit is so tattered that it cannot pocket anymore wind and propel their boat forward, in a sea that has never been as turbulent as it is right now, and there happens to be no land in sight.

This post is for the people out there in the world, people I will never meet but will connect with for the next ten minutes by combining letters to form sentences, my brain telling my fingers what to do while my soul says what it needs to say.

This post is for someone like me. Someone like you. Someone like them. Someone like us.

Someone like someone.

Let me start out by saying this first before we get into the heat of battle – I am not perfect. You are not perfect. This world is far from perfect, and you know what? That is okay! That is normal! All we can do is take the imperfect pieces and try our best to make them fit. Put on your armor and tarry on.

Before I left for school in my earlier years, my mother, my number one fan, always told me, on a daily basis, that I was special and to not let anyone make me think differently. My heart and soul wanted to believe her, still does, but a big part of my mind did not. Even when I received confirmation from my family, friends, and an occasional stranger that this was true, it was still hard for me to fully accept.

There is a lesson in this – a low self esteem suffocates your candle, and we were all destined to shine in our own way and carry the light within us and spread it where possible!

The problem is – we let the world and all the lies of the world get in the way, along with our own stubbornness and ego, and there are more things in the world that are looking to snuff out our shine than help in transferring it.

As a creative writer who tries to keep things fresh and not duplicate stories or topics, as a creative thinker who tries to keep the reader entertained with things that have and have not been done yet, as an editor who makes sure the sentence structure has balance and story has zero loopholes, as a blue collar worker who pushes all week long to make sure his family’s needs are met while spending as much time with them, as a dreamer who forces himself to take time to rest his rambling brain – during all of this – there have been numerous times I wanted to give up, more so in the past year than ever.

When I begin to feel like this, I repeat one question inside my brain and push myself to the edge and back, one word at a time : ‘if I quit, then I lose, another countless dream dies, momma’s prophecy turns into a false teaching, the world wins, and anyone who was ever told that they were special when they were younger loses.’

One thing is certain : I’d rather have a spoonful of failure turned success than a fifty pound bag of regret turned into old age bitterness any day of the week.

When it comes to my dream and what it means to me, I am not running around, freaking out, rushing the process. I am not forcing the issue. If it is meant to happen, then it will. I walk, forward not backwards, kick rocks, and patiently wait for the right time instead of the imperfect time. I climb the mountain, camp out when I get tired, enjoy the view as I go, and know that I will be at the peak before long.

I hang out on the end of my limb, day in and day out, because, well, that is where the best breeze is at.

I am a man of focus, drive, determination, and self-will.

I never stop dreaming, even when the unbeliefs seem more believable than what I’m currently pursuing.

I realize that I am not microwavable. God did not intend that for me. I am marinating for the day when I am finally put into the oven and served to a table of hungry readers.

So, here is this post’s peak of plot. The keys to the castle, as some would say. The honey to the comb. The ace of spades in a hand full of hearts. The firecracker with the short fuse. The wasp nest above your head when you weren’t expecting to see one there. The buy one get two free coupon that expired yesterday.

Ready?

You … are … special.

Believe it or not, you are! You were destined for greatness in a world that will do its best to suck it from you and feed off of it before you can. Be careful what circle you are involved with because, sometimes, circles become cages and it’s time for you to spread those wings and fly. Some people do not want you to succeed or better yourself because your courage outweighs their lack of desire. Beware of this pitfall.

You … are … unique.

Don’t compare yourself to a snowflake simply because scientists say that not one is alike. Be the underdog snowball that hits the bully in the face, cuts his lip, and he runs home to his mommy in front of his friends. Be the poorly constructed snowman that lingers for days on end after all the other snow has melted. Be the mountainside glacier that has fed neighboring lakes and streams for hundreds of thousands of years and will continue to do so.

You … are … a … shining … star.

Why buy a star from some scientific organization and wait for them to send you a certificate, its coordinates, and a picture in the mail of the one that is officially yours when you already own a sky full of them? Don’t shoot down to Earth so somebody might catch a short glimpse of you. You stay in the dark heavens and keep people’s chin up when they need it the most. Stars twinkle because they want us to look up and notice them. How similar are we with those tiny diamonds in the sky?

You … are … capable … of … greatness.

In your own way and at your own level, of course. Do not idolize celebrities or athletes or notable figures or people of power above yourself! Even though their story is important, can be used as a reference point, and may be empowering, something tells me that your story is just as important as theirs. You go into this world and be you because nobody else can or ever will. We need dreamers like me and you now, more than ever.

You … are … beautiful slash handsome on the inside first then out.

If you put perfume and lipstick on a pig, guess what, it is still a pig. The mirror will lie. Your eyes will lie. The magazines will lie. The television will lie. The people on the television will lie. The commercials will lie. Your fake friends will lie. Social media will lie. The people who are jealous of you will lie. Quit comparing yourself to these things and compare yourself to the greatest thing that the universe has ever created. Compare yourself to you.

You … are … so very important to the grand scheme of everything that makes this world – this world.

Don’t think you are unimportant or that you are unloved. Don’t ever think that no one cares. Don’t ever think that you only have one way out of this life because you constantly hit dead ends and think that everything is against you. If you need someone to talk to – reach out. If you need religion to help cleanse you – reach in. If you need a break from treading water – look around. There are others out there that are already clinging to some type of flotation device, braving the seas of this world. Welcome Aboard!

You … are … loved.

Whether you are single, married, or divorced, whether you are living in a trailer, apartment, modest house, or three story mansion, whether you have a hard time believing that premise considering you can be difficult to deal with at times, believe this – you are unconditionally loved. You are capable of forgiveness. You are capable of forgiving. You have been granted eternal salvation from yourself and the mistakes you have made. You have more ways out than you think you do!

You … are … a … warrior!

I dare you to go out into the world and show it who the true boss really is. I dare you to take your set of abilities and skills and nurture them and feed them and practice with them and sharpen them and use them the way they need to be used. I dare you to brave all the arrows that the world is going to shoot at you and watch as they miss by inches because they were only shot at you to discourage you and not hit you. I dare you to believe in yourself long enough that your belief actually turns into faith. I promise, you will not be disappointed.

You … are … original.

After you die, that is it for all of us left behind. We do not get another one of you. You cannot be duplicated (well, not quite yet, at least). Your avatar will officially level up, (or level down?), and we will never be graced with your presence. All we will remember will be the memories of you. So, please, while you are here, I need you to be the original you and be the rockstar that you were always meant to be. This world is a stage. Plug in and let them hear the noise that makes your soul sing. For some, it might just be racket, but for the ones it was meant for, it will be music to their ears.

You … are … you.

Accept it!

In this life, there will be more reasons to give up than there will be to keep pushing forward. Deep down inside, you know what you need to do and time is still ticking.

The only things that define you is what you allow.

Always remember, like momma used to say and continues to say, “you … are … special!”

I guess it’s time for me to start believing that premise more than I was.

What about you and yourself?

Where do ‘you’ stand with the ‘are’ in your life?

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– Personal Playlist Jam below –

Enjoy!