If this doesn’t tug at your heart, tear up your eyes or make you straight up cry, that is very surprising.

I’ve written before that on July 15 (8 days) I will be participating in the New England Tough Mudder challenge. As the date for the event grows closer and closer, my nerves have been building up. Every day I have been reading blogs, stories, tips and tricks to the event trying to plan out my strategy to the event. TM has a YouTube channel which features videos focusing on different events as well as personal videos showing journeys and advice for future mudders. When I was scrolling through videos this evening, I came across one that was labeled great motivational video. I played it and was stunned at how inspired I was. It consisted of different quotes and one that got me was the following,

“Somewhere along the line, you changed. You stopped being you. You let people stick a finger in your face and tell you you’re no good. And when things got hard, you started looking for someone to blame, like a big shadow. Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!”

It is something so true. I thought about how unfair life is. Thought about how many times I have actually actually been hit. And its true, no amount of physical pain comes close to the strikes life can dole out. There are lots of things that are so unfair and every time you stand back up from them, you accomplish something. After I watched this video I just wanted to run to the gym and have a great workout, but something else caught my eye. It was a video entitled “Never Ever, Ever, Give Up”. I watched it twice, the first time I held back tears, the second time, I let them go. This is the video and while it is something that happened when my generation was very young, its message is truly timeless.

Something I like to say is that I always choose to fall back on my faith. I do. Life can be very bearable when we are letting God carry the things that are bigger than us. I believe this message speaks for itself.

If you ever feel alone. Feel abandoned. Feel left hanging. If you feel tired, feel lost, feel disappointed. Perhaps watch this video for a little bit of motivation. We don’t need to look for someone to blame or for an excuse. We just need to get up. That is what makes us stronger. It is what makes us the best version of our self.

People aren’t perfect. Life isn’t fair. Sometimes we fall down. But like the first quote says, it is how we stand up from getting hit down that tells us who we are. But when we fall the hardest, there is someone who forgives, does not judge, picks up and helps us cross the finish line every time. I believe he will be there to help me cross mine, every time.