“The Struggle is Real”
Everywhere we go, we see it, we hear it, we feel it…”the struggle”…Some are struggling to survive, some are struggling with religion, some are struggling with wondering if there is a Creator of the Universe at all, a higher power. Some are struggling with mental illness, or some are struggling with family members. Some are struggling in school, some are struggling on their jobs, or some are struggling in their marriages. Some are struggling with their neighbors, some are struggling with the law, some are struggling in dysfunctional homes, or some are struggling with past hurts. Some are struggling with fears of the unknown, some are struggling with the fear of the future, and then some are struggling with loneliness. Some are struggling with substance abuse, and some are struggling with overeating; yet, some are struggling with not eating at all. Some are struggling with a life debilitating illness, some are struggling to stay alive, and some are struggling in a life or death situation. Some are struggling to be someone that they are not, and some are struggling with living double lives. Some are struggling with losing weight, and some are struggling with getting their exercise program started. The list goes on and on and on.
We come on Substack looking for answers. Sometimes we actually find them. Yet, in the middle of the night, when we are all alone, and we are searching for answers, we type our question on the internet web browser of our choice, and wait. Sometimes we wait for seconds, then other times we keep searching, digging for more answers to the questions we so desperately need answered. The struggle is real and all of humanity is feeling it. We have heard it said over and over again, that although the internet has connected humanity, humanity has never felt so alone as it does in this generation. How can we really know whether this is true? But it does feel like it could be fact. The truth is that people need to feel heard, and seen, and that they matter. People need to know that they are accepted and loved, and that they can contribute. We want to be validated and we want others to witness our existence, and to testify that we were here, and that we made a difference.
When we come onto Substack and share our thoughts, our feelings, our research, our art, our music, our lives with others that we do not know who may live clear across the globe, we receive a sense of accomplishment. We throw it out on the water, as a letter in a bottle, and hope it floats to the person who needs to hear our message. We write wanting to connect with the other people who become our audience. We type and know that our words will somehow confirm with another person exactly how they feel, and with articulation. I actually had this experience. I was talking to a very important person the other day about a subject that is near and dear to my heart. This person listened and I am not sure if my message was successfully communicated. I hope that it was. Yet, I really enjoyed sharing this aspect of my life with them, and I was attempting to share this with them to assist them in not making the same mistakes I had made. Their life and my life really are not the same at all, but in transparency I was compelled to share with them. Then like two days later, I was perusing on Substack and found a wonderful article written by one of my contacts here on Substack. He wrote about the exact subject that I was talking about to the other person only two days ago. His article was well written and it underscored and fully explained the topic and subject matter with skill. I felt as though he had been listening to my conversation from two days back. I was thrilled to read this article and could not wait to finish reading it.
This was a prime time example of the beauty of reciprocity we are enjoying here on Substack. I almost feel like I am doing a commercial for Substack…LOL…but I am not. I am simply stating the facts. We share, we care, we read, we appreciate, we thank, we become inspired, we share, and the cycle continues.
Yes, the struggle is real, but WE have the answer, WE are the answer, and the information WE share with one another by unselfishly sharing our hearts with one another on a daily basis. Truth be told, I had no idea what I was going to write about today. I did not have one thing that I could put my finger on. Then, someone came into my office and shared their very recent experience with me, and I was able to assist them with it.
This one situation was the domino that knocked down all the other ones and caused me to write,
“The Struggle is Real.” And WE are not alone.
