Bit of Happy #105: A Little Bit Stronger

“A Little Bit Stronger”
by Sara Evans

“And I’m done hoping that we could work it out
I’m done with how it feels, spinning my wheels
Letting you drag my heart around
And, oh, I’m done thinking that you could ever change

I know my heart will never be the same
But I’m telling myself I’ll be okay
Even on my weakest days,
I get a little bit stronger.”

My past has presented the possibility for me to, fortunate or not, strongly relate to each lyric of this song. And on some level, I think everyone who has risked their heart for love and then was let down has. Certainly not the easiest moments of life, “A Little Bit Stronger,” by Sara Evans describes the aftermath of a breakup. From hearing songs on the radio to having to force a smile and ignore the hurt, the lyrics bleed the truth. They are real and honest. How do I know this? Because I’ve been through these lyrics, word for word.

And I’m not saying it’s a walk in the park. Because it’s not; it is far from it actually. But what I am saying is this… There are really, really, REALLY difficult times in life. Times that you believe you’ll never make it through in one piece. But when you surprise yourself and do find that strength to put the pieces back together… The moment when you turn around and a month has gone by without crying, you smile to yourself a little bit. You get ‘a little bit stronger.’

The moment you realize you need to put your foot down and stop letting him (or her) drag your heart around, you get ‘a little bit stronger.’

Once you accept that your heart may never be the same, but you’ll still be okay… you get ‘a little bit stronger.’

I especially love the lyrics: “Even on my weakest days, I get a little bit stronger.” Each day you make it through, it’s a little bit step towards finding who you are again. It’s a little step towards living life without that person. It’s a little step towards leaving the hurt behind. Each day you get further away from the initial day of breaking up, you realize you can make it in this life without them.

And even when you don’t realize that… even when you still believe that he (or she) will change… even when you still hope that he (or she) will come running back into your arms… Even on those days, you ‘get a little bit stronger.’ You get a little bit stronger because even in moments of weakness, it is still time that passes. And with time comes healing.

In my weakest days, I never thought I would move on. In many ways, I was determined to do the opposite. I wanted to hold on for the rest of my life. But looking back on it now… going many, many days without a tear. Going many, many days without wishing he’d come back. Going many, many days without allowing him to drag my heart around. I’ve realized I’m stronger. A lot stronger. And better off.

Looking back on it now, having found someone new… someone who has showed me how I deserve to be treated… someone who smiles just to see me smile, I wouldn’t change a single moment of my past. I wouldn’t change the hurt that I’ve had to endure. I wouldn’t change the choices I’ve made or the moments I’ve shared with people. If I wished for that, I wouldn’t be me. I wouldn’t be able to appreciate and truly cherish what I have now. So instead of regretting the past, I celebrate it. Because without my past, I wouldn’t in the very moment that I am now.

So have a listen, I hope you get the same sense of strength from “A Little Bit Stronger” that I have!

Happy Monday!

Bit of Happy #35: Leave Your Mark

A photograph I took for my Black & White Photography class in college.

“We are born into the world like a blank canvas, and every person that crosses our path takes up the brush and makes their mark upon our surface, so it is that we develop. But we must realize that there comes a day that we must take up the brush and finish the work. For only we can determine if we are to be just another painting or a masterpiece.”
-Javan

So uplifting and motivating. It paints a picture of the path that life travels. In the beginning – a white canvas is born. Pure. Innocent. Untouched. With each passing day, those who grow close to you will forever leave a mark on your canvas – some warm reds and yellows and others cool blues and purples. Some marks will last and go on forever and some may be abruptly severed. Some strokes will overlap with others, and may one day smooth over the underlying mark completely.

But no matter what effect others have on you – it is ultimately your choice how you live your life. It is ultimately your choice if you are strong or weak. It is ultimately your choice if you stay optimistic about the future or let the past drag down your spirits. The brush is in your hands to finish the work. Your life is in your hands to make it what you want. Live it the way you want.

So what is your choice? Will you be just another painting? Or, will you look at the marks others have left on your life and find a way to turn it into a masterpiece?

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