The picture above is of a Korean drama that I am currently watching. The main character happens to be a shut-in, someone that finds life so traumatic that she decides not to deal with it. As I watched this drama I began to think about how we hide from life. We hide from situations and problems that we feel overwhelmed by and hope they disappear. Because isn’t that the rule,  If I don’t acknowledge it, it doesn’t exist? I felt a connection to the main character, because I completely understood the feeling of wanting to be invisible, of needing to protect one’s self from hurt and disappointment. The thing is, we can’t hide or shut ourselves off from life. Life moves and flows whether we want it too or not, and if we hide ourselves from it, we aren’t protecting our life, but endangering it.

Life is meant to be lived. Challenges are meat to be overcome. Mountains are meant to be climbed. Hurdles are meant to be jumped. This is how we become stronger, how we discover our potential, and how we find our path. Don’t run from the problems in life. Face them head-on. Go through the trials and learn from them. You’ll be amazed at how strong you really are (trust me I know)!

So what am I thankful for today? I am thankful for the mountains I have climbed, the hurdles I have jumped, and the challenges I overcame. I am stronger and wiser because of them.