There was a wonderful girl in my 8th grade class. Her name was Jessica and we were on the volleyball team together. Her and I weren’t the greatest at sports; she was brainy and I was uncoordinated. We would pair up to practice because we both wanted to be better. She would yell at the games, when everyone else went quiet, to make sure we heard her. She would start clapping and yelling, “We believe in you!” Some people would laugh, ‘that’s so cute,” or “she’s silly,” and it would make us all giggle on the court. It really sank in for some of us, though. Believing in something is a strange concept, but she knew the power of the words, even if she got laughed at.
At that age, I didn’t understand, but now that I am where I am, I can’t stop thinking that I have to try this whole ‘believing’ thing. What to believe in is more the question. Believe in yourself? Believe in God or another religion? Believe in miracles? Now if I was miraculously cured from a mental illness, I could believe in miracles. That’s not going to happen anytime soon, but I can manage my life. Believing that my mental disorder or my addictive personality has had control over my life, all of my life; that is something I can agree to.
That’s supposed to be the first step, right? We all know the steps routine all too well. Let go and let God, right? Admit the things you’ve done, sound familiar? There are so many people that could benefit from those steps and don’t have access to the knowledge. Here’s me reaching out. I hope you can, too.
Step one: let yourself believe there is something happening that you haven’t been able to control. Believe it is out of your control and/or sometimes has control of you.
Guess what? We believe in you. Even when you don’t believe in yourself, there is someone that does. Jessica never gave up on me. I never really got any better at volleyball, but she did and it was incredible to watch. When she did, it showed me how much another person can help themselves by helping others. Give more, receive better. That’s why I’m here. Trying to help others and hopefully I’ll be better at continuing what I love to do, and fighting the good fight.
Thanks, Jessica. I hope you’re doing well and still inspiring others.
