Never set your alarm to your favorite song. That song will be ruined for the rest of your life. No questions asked. No exceptions.

That, is a lesson I learned the hard way.

But that’s the funny thing about life; the abundance of lessons to be learned and the process we go through in order to comprehend.

You see, we could sit back and think about how much things suck and question whether or not we can make it through. Some days we just don’t know where we are headed in the future or have all the answers to all the “but why’s” we ask. Some days it hurts to open our eyes because we are so scared and feel so helpless.

But listen.

You have made it through 100% of all your past troubles. You can make it through today.

It sucks sometimes to have to literally be thrown into the depths of our troubles in order to learn what needs to be learned. But that doesn’t mean you cannot escape, that things won’t ever get better.

Obviously, things take time. Takes time to grasp onto the harsh reality of something and then take the steps of action to move past it and grow from it.

But I hope you know your ability to do just so. I hope you recognize the fact that you are so beyond capable of growing from these troubles, from learning new lessons that will allow you to flourish in the future.

I hope you are able to let the sun in, to push the rain clouds away and welcome to new possibilities.

To know that yes, you are so damn SCARED of moving forward right now, but this fear WILL. NOT. LAST.

Look at this morning, for example. You got out of bed. (maybe it was cause that song was playing and you have to turn it off – either way, you did it). You took a deep breath and continued.

That, my friend, is truly admirable.

I hope as this year progresses, you learn to smile. To laugh. I hope you here the stupidest joke ever and let out a snort from that laugh of yours. I hope your eyes water and drip with tears because you are so, genuinely happy. I hope this laughter manages to lift your spirits and remind you of the fact that you escaped the fears that once set you down.

I hope you find someone who will let you know how cute your laugh is. I hope you make new adventures and learn new things with this person. I hope they make you laugh and you make them laugh. And together, the serenity created from your laughs reminds you of the fact that the lessons you have learned from your past were essential to reach this growth.

Sucks to have to learn things the hard way. But remember how much stronger that makes you. How much brighter these lessons make your smile. How much stronger and genuine your laugh will be in the future.

Believe me when I say that you are capable of escaping these dark trenches.

If I managed to turn my alarm off to that song without throwing my phone out the window (for several weeks, may I add), then this sure is possible.

Let us flourish as we learn these lessons. Let us become irrefutable and unstoppable.

xoxo, maddy

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for the big, soft, tender hearts-never stop loving

What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the mornings, what you will do with your evenings, how you will spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, what amazes you with joy and gratitude.

However, maybe you’re the kind that is so full of care, so full of love, so full of the desire to see others reach their full potential. You care “too much”. Your heart is “too big”.

Maybe you’re the one to find yourself falling in love too easily, giving your heart away like it’s velcroed to your sleeve, ready to be ripped right off. Maybe you’re the one to stay up late, making sure those you care about are okay, making sure they get home safe and sound. To spend your late hours of the night listening to someone tell you silly stories and pour their heart out, ignoring the fact you’re exhausted and have a mile-long to-do list.

And maybe, you are drowning in the voices that tell you having a heart this big is a negative quality. And maybe, just maybe, you  need to stop apologizing for that.

Why is being full of love such a bad thing? Why are we so convinced that these feelings are “too much”? Because they break down your sheltered heart and expose your deepest secrets? Because it’s strong? Because it’s a hell of a brave yet rare characteristic in this world that so many are too damn afraid of?

In this world that is apprehensive of realizing our true feelings, in a world that is detouring around their emotions-you are enough. You are okay. You do not need to change a thing.

There is no law stating you must be sorry for having a big heart, for loving as hard as you do. Being someone that lets people in and allows themselves to candid and unguarded, that gives and gives and gives (even to those who don’t necessarily deserve it) is no crime.

Yes, it can be scary to simply not know how to give anything less than full love when you’re surrounded by people who are unsure or indifferent. When rejection and disappointment come and hit you like a slap in the face, it sucks. But your big heart holds enough room to be able to move on from these shitty moments, these feelings of worthlessness – as soon as you give yourself the same amount of worth and value you place on those you love.

Never let the world cheat you of who you are. Love without hesitations, without regret. Let people in. Give everything you have and apologize for none of it. Embrace your big heart. Keep believing in big love. It will cross your path, you will find that day when you are with someone who loves just as hard as you do, who values you just as much as you value them. And when that day comes, you’ll be happy you never changed.

thursday nights

Sometimes, those random Thursday nights can come by and hit you in the heart like a ton of bricks. When you sit in bed, far before the night is over, feeling lonely as ever. When all your struggles compile into one force and crush you down. When you are buried in pillows craving someone to come swoop you up and save you, to kiss your bruised up arms and tell you everything will be alright.

It’s on these nights that our guarded hearts break down and we realize love is both a weakness and a strength; even the darkest of us can still become weak with love. That despite the walls we have built up, despite the scars we are made up of, despite hardships, love can still get in. It’s on these nights when the negative thoughts continuously bleed out from our veins, no matter how many band-aids we slap on.

These are the nights you must fight against the demons in your mind. When you must open up to others (it will be oh so difficult yet oh so worth it). Breaking down your guarded walls will only lead you to a path of hope and faith in the future. And when that Thursday night struts its way into your life, I will be here, listening, talking, hugging. When you need someone here to melt into, someone to hug, but yet you find no one to wrap your arms around, look for me. I’ll be alive in your dreams when you are immersed deep in your thoughts laying in your bed on this Thursday night. I will be there for you, all throughout the day and into your dreams and nightmares. My arms will remain wide open and my ears will be ready to listen to your deepest secrets.

During these dreams of yours, it is often when I myself am drowning in my own struggles. When I need someone to distract the monsters in my mind, hug me, and let me know things will get better. That’s when I need you most.

We will be here for each other. We promised each other, way back, on a different Thursday night.

And that is when I realized, that love truly can seep into those who hold a dark past, those who are in pain.

That is when I realized that two hearts made up of cracks and crevices can fill each other back up. Thank you for being there for me. I will be here for you.

 

xoxo, maddy