[x_section style=”margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px; padding: 45px 0px 45px 0px; “][x_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” bg_color=”” style=”margin: 0px auto 0px auto; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_column bg_color=”” type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_video_embed no_container=”false” type=”16:9″][/x_video_embed][/x_column][/x_row][/x_section][x_section style=”margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px; padding: 45px 0px 45px 0px; “][x_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” bg_color=”” style=”margin: 0px auto 0px auto; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_column bg_color=”” type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_text]I was discussing my family tree with my grandmother the other day. She was telling me stories of relatives I’ve never met, jobs they had, and who their kids are. At the end of the conversation she said, “I’m just so proud of everyone.” She said that her father was a sharecropper and right now her son was in London, her niece was a judge, and everyone was doing so well. She was overjoyed at how quickly things had changed and she encouraged me that anything was possible with hard work and opportunity. Her words reminded me that I have the freedom to create whatever life I want, and I needed to hear that because it inspired me to keep at it.
Randomly, the next day I had the thought, I love my name. My name suits me perfectly, its brevity and ability to stand alone, are who I am. A few hours later I decide to watch a Casey Neistat video after not having watched them in a while. I didn’t realize the video had become background noise until I heard him say my name. He was answering a question sent in by a girl named Lia (sp?) and hearing my name made me pay attention even more. I listened to his answer and I was even more inspired.
Just like everyone else, there are times when life ‘gets me down’. But actually, it’s not life that gets me down, it’s my choice or thoughts and/or actions that get me down. When it happens, one of the quickest ways for me to change my focus and to feel better is to remember that just a short time ago, people worked long, hard days in tough conditions and for little or no pay. I am the byproduct of hardworking people who prayed that those who came after them would have their rights, an easier life, and could create the lives they wanted.
We’re all entitled to bad days, and we all have the power to get back up when life gets us down. Don’t allow down days to be your new normal.
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