After Losing Everything, Here Are 5 Hard Truths I Had to Face
I recently posted about losing everything. I was surprised at the amount of feedback. It reminded me of something: when you’re at your lowest, it can feel like you’re the only one going through it. But you’re not. That’s for sure!
Losing everything forced me to confront some seriously brutal truths about life and myself. Truths I used to ignore. Truths I learned the hard way. If you’re struggling, I hope these help.
No one is coming to save you. This one stung. I waited for someone to pull me out of the mess, for a lucky break, for life to suddenly get easier. It never happened. The truth is, no one is coming. No one will do the work for you. The moment I accepted that, things started to change. And things started to change in a radically different way.
Your past doesn’t define you…unless you let it. I used to replay my mistakes like a broken record, convincing myself I was stuck because of them. But the past is only as powerful as you allow it to be. What actually defines you is the next choice you make. The next action you take. You can either stay trapped by regret or start writing a different story. I wrote a different story and continue to add to the book on a daily basis.
Most people won’t care about your struggles (but the right ones do). When you lose everything, you learn real fast who’s actually in your corner. A lot of people disappear. And it hurts. But I’ve learned that’s okay. Because the ones who stuck around me, are the ones who mattered. Don’t chase those who leave. Build and grow with those who stay. I’ve heard people say “show me a man’s friends and you will show me the man.” That is a powerful statement.
Lying to yourself keeps you stuck. For a long time, I had an excuse for everything. I told myself things would get better “eventually.” That my situation wasn’t my fault. That I was just unlucky. But that was just a narrative I kept telling myself to avoid taking responsibility. The moment I got radically honest, with myself and others, was the moment I finally started moving forward and growing. Honesty is a key to success.
Either rebuild or stay broken. There comes a point where you have to make a choice. Do I stay down, or do I start climbing? No one is going to force you to get back up and get moving. No one is going to hand you motivation. You have to decide that your story isn’t over. You have to decide that you are the author of your own book. Then you have to take action. Do something small at first, but be consistent. Little steps eventually become a enormous journey.
When I lost everything, I thought it was the end. But looking back, it was actually the beginning of something else. Something greater than I ever expected. A chance to rebuild, not just my circumstances, but my mindset, my habits, and the way I live my life.
For those of you who are struggling right now, I see you. What’s been the hardest truth you’ve had to face in life?