Prompt 316-Pep Talk

Write a letter to someone you haven’t met that is having a bad day.

Hi.

I don’t know you, and you probably don’t know me, but I know that if you are reading this letter, it means you are in a dark place and you are looking for a light, something to guide you out and show you everything is not as awful as it seems.

The truth is, sometimes life is cruel and uncaring. People will tell you it’s not, that every dark cloud has a silver lining and you just have to look on the bright side and find the good in even the worst of circumstances. They will tell you not to worry, not to despair, it will be ok. After all, they’ve been in your shoes and they came out on top.

If their words sound hollow, it’s because they’ve forgotten how they came out of their own darkness. They’ve forgotten what they have that allows them to offer those platitudes: time and distance. Time has erased their own bouts of despair, however brief, from their recollection. They only remember that the darkness existed and that they triumphed. Someone had told them to “look on the bright side” and so they had and that was that and that is all you have to do, too.

But what if you can’t see the light? What if you’re not ready to illuminate the dark? Sometimes there is comfort in the dark. It’s okay to want to yell into the void, to cry and scream and let all those emotions out to fill the space. Sometimes, the only way to find the light is to shed the darkness. The key is not to stay in it forever.

Everyone who ever made it out of their dark place had help. Either someone gave them the light they needed, or they made it for themselves. It might be a coping mechanism—listening to loud music, watching a favorite movie, buying a new outfit, etc.—or it might be a friend or family member sitting with you listening to you vent or telling you about their day to distract you from the bad things in yours.

Maybe it’s an online blog post reminding you that there are better days ahead. Time marches on, and with distance and a bit of luck, this bad day won’t even make a remarkable memory. The only way to ensure that is to move forward, out of the dark. Take the time you need, but remember to move.

And one more thing to remember: you’re not alone. There are people who love you and support you, even when you can’t see them. At the very least, I am rooting for you, and I am here with a light if you can’t find yours.

Notes: Not the fluffiest pep talk, but all things I needed to hear at one point or another. Maybe someone else needs to hear them too. Inspiration isn’t a one-size-fits-all sort of thing either. What helps some people might discourage or upset others. At the end of the day, you are the only person who knows what or who motivates and inspires you. Take what you like, leave what you don’t, but most of all, move forward.

Have a great night! I’ll see you tomorrow!

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