I'll Be Home for Christmas

Never Lose Faith in Yourself

Recognize the Strength Within You

With Christmas less than a week away I am starting to truly believe that I'll Be Home for Christmas. For the entirety of the semester I continuously doubted that I would be able to make it to this point without having to return to treatment. My weight is not necessarily where it needs to be and it has fluctuated constantly over the course of the last four months. There were times when I felt both physically as well as mentally exhausted. My eating disorder became so strong at points that I was convinced it would force me to medical leave again and subsequently miss the holidays for the second year in a row. But despite these fears I tried my best to have faith in myself and recognize the strength within me. Maintaining my faith and utilizing this strength allowed me to push through the difficult times, counter my doubts and fears, remind me of my abilities, and encourage me to fight for what I strove to achieve. We face too many people in our lives who bring us down, give up on us, or lose faith in us. Because of these people we can't afford to lose faith in ourselves. We need to act as our own supporters and cheerleaders in order to reach our dreams and fulfill our goals, especially when we are bound to encounter people in our lives who will challenge our abilities and strength. It is up to us to recognize the strength within us in order to continue believing in ourselves and the fact that we can do anything we set our minds to. I want to start us off with a simple affirmation to help us bolster our senses of strength and aid us in having faith in ourselves and our abilities-

Utilise your strength !

I have total confidence in my strengths and abilities.

This is an affirmation that I would have had trouble embracing a few months ago. But today, with my semester behind me and Christmas in sight, I can fully embody this affirmation. I can recognize the strength within me because I exhibited it repeatedly over the last few months. My strength helped me to keep my weight a moderately healthy place. It enabled me to get out of bed and go to class on days when I was exhausted or exceptionally depressed. It inspired me to reach out to friends and family when I felt uncertain or as if I was isolating.

It encouraged me to seek out motivation that would inspire me to complete assignments, be social, go to class, and continue living. The strength within me is the reason that I was able to finish the semester. It is the main reason that I am well enough to be home for Christmas this year. I cannot argue against the fact that I am strong because all of my accomplishments reflect the intense strength that I possess. Look at your life and all that you have been able to achieve over the course of the last few months. Recognize the big things- getting a new job, finishing a semester, having a child, overcoming a difficult situation, handling a traumatic event- and realize that the strength within you that enabled you to achieve these things. Then take a look at the small, seemingly insignificant things- planning a party, preparing a large meal, finishing your Christmas shopping, calling a friend- and acknowledge that your strength allowed you to accomplish all of these things as well. Your inner strength helps you to accomplish the big things while also performing all the small things. Never lose faith in your strength or in yourself; if you do all hope is lost. You cannot achieve anything in life- big or small- if you don't believe you have the power to do so.


"It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not."

- Attributed to Hanoch McCarty

As McCarty says, it's who think we are not that prevents us from achieving our goals and moving forward in life. It's when we lose faith in ourselves that we find ourselves feeling hopeless or unable to fulfill our wants. If we believe that we are not strong, not able, not worthy, etc. than it becomes our reality and prevents us from being strong, being able, and feeling worthy. 

You are naturally strong and therefore inherently able to make your dreams a reality. As a human you are worthy of all the blessings and happiness that life had to offer. You need only have faith that you are deserving and capable in order to live your dreams. If I gave into my doubts and allowed myself to believe that I was not capable of achieving the semester and behing home for the holiday than both would have been an impossibility. It was maintaining faith in myself that propelled me forward, inspired me to live my life, and permitted me to attain my desires. I'll be home for Christmas this year and if continue to have faith in myself than I will be home for every holiday in the years to come!


Never stop believing in your strengths and yourself,
xo

I'll Be Home for Christmas, The Carpenters

6 Days Til Christmas