Someone asked me: "How do you get through the struggles you face? How do you stay motivated?" And the thing is... there's no easy answer for that. Staying motivated is something that you push yourself and work for. Especially when life knocks you down, things happen, and you're facing situations that make you question pretty much everything.
I have a never-ending battle with myself when it comes to doubt. There are so many times when I feel like what I'm doing isn't good enough, or if I'm ever good enough. When doubt creeps in... I let myself experience it first... but then, I pick myself up and motivate myself to be better. And do better.
One thing that I know for certain is that dealing with doubt is a battle that you're bound to fight, if you're going to be a person of faith.
That line resonated with me the most a couple of Sundays ago at church. It made me realize a couple of things while dealing with some of my own personal issues.
1) Trust in Him.
Whenever you're feeling down, doubting yourself, feeling worthless... just know that God will send reminders and promises your way to remind you to trust in His timing.
We have the ability to take jumps and leaps with God, but we are uncertain to do things because we don't know where we're going to land. However... where we do land will be full of His power, His wisdom, and His trust.
2) Stop comparing yourself with everyone else around you.
I find that when I'm comparing myself to strangers on the Internet, I start to doubt myself. It happens. Wishing to be someone else or having this life versus yours, wishing you had this house, that outfit, this job, etc. is every minute spent wasting your own life. We also need to keep in mind that we want to portray the best versions of ourselves to the public. On outlets like Instagram, photos can be staged, posed, or edited. Just because a person posts happy photos all the time doesn't mean that person isn't struggling or dealing with something.
3) Your struggles are temporary.
As hard as it is to believe that sometimes, it's true. Our 'storms' are not meant to last forever. Sometimes it gets worse before it gets better, right? Just know that whatever it is you're struggling with, you'll overcome it. I remind myself to stay on track, because I will get through this. God doesn't put you through storms if He doesn't think you can handle it.
4) Remember how far you've come.
This keeps me motivated. I like to reflect back on my past only when I'm reminding myself what I've done in order to get to where I am. We focus so much on the bad, that we sometimes forget to appreciate all the good things we've done or come across in life.
And the best part is... things will get better.
5) Trust in yourself, but also trust in those who are closest to you.
I've been independent all my life. Over the years, I've figured out what it is that I like and don't like, and used my experience with that to help me deal with any struggles I face. However, if you have people in your life that want to help you, let them. Don't fight it. Trusting people can be daunting. You're letting someone else in, and you have a 50/50 chance of them potentially hurting you. Why give them that opportunity... right? But don't let that fear prevent you from that other 50% chance of them helping you overcome something you're struggling with. Even if it just means being there for you or listening to you.
Doubts will come... but they don't have to overcome.
How do you deal with doubt? What are some ways you stay motivated?
