A letter to myself #1
To read when you're at your breaking point
There comes a point in life where you might question everything. You might question your friends. You might question your family. You might question God, or whatever supernatural deity there might be.
You will question yourself.
You will question whether it's worth it.
And honestly, I wish I could tell you that it is. I wish I could tell you that it's so worth it. I wish I could tell you that life turns out great. I wish I could tell you that you're happy. I wish I could tell you that 'content' is the one word you would choose to describe your life.
But the older I get, the more I continue to question everything. I'm in the prime of my life right now: I'm young, I finished grad school with a perfect GPA, I have people who care about me, I have the world's most amazing dog, I have what I need.
Yet all I can do is think about what I don't have. I don't have a steady job. I don't have any solid close friendships. I don't have a relationship. I can't even get past a first date with anybody. I don't have a large family. I lost the one relative I loved more than anything without getting to say goodbye. I'm losing the only other non-parent relative I have to cancer. I hate myself for being upset that he probably won't be there to see me get married because how selfish am I for that when his own daughter probably won't have him at her wedding?
The older I get, the more I think that maybe I'm one of those losers that peaked in high school. I loved high school. I loved my friends in high school. I enjoyed that experience. I miss that experience.
My life has only gone downhill since high school. I graduated almost 9 years ago. I have to hit rock bottom at some point though, right? There has to be a point where life stops feeling awful, right?
I'm trying. I really am. I want to be able to tell you, to guarantee, that things work out. That everything you experienced is worth it. I just can't yet.
What ten year old actually expects to grow up feeling like they will never achieve their goals? What hopeful fresh faced young 18 year old high school graduate expects to watch their life flow further into the gutter as the days go by? What college graduate expects to still be getting minimal paychecks 4 years after graduating? What newly single, ready to mingle young adult expects to be still single three years after their first breakup? What apparently permanently single young adult expects her only potential prospect to be a friend with benefits who broke her heart four months in and then ghosted? What young adult expects to take that same friends with benefits back a year later and then keeps him around even after he made the friends with benefits situation so hard to read that she got her hopes up again before he made it explicitly clear that he does in fact view her as nothing more than a friend with benefits?
Expectations never lead to the outcome you want. Expectations lead to hurt feelings and broken hearts. Expectations lead to misunderstandings. Expectations lead to disaster.
Life is tough. And it will inevitably get tougher for you.
So, girl, get yourself a list of things that make you happy, that make you smile. Keep adding to it. And keep that list handy for when you're ready to spend your night sobbing. You never know when some of those things may be all the difference for you.
About the Creator
Cora Mack
-Losing myself one day at a time, picking up the pieces as I go. Welcome to my mind-
Please consider leaving a tip if any of what you see resonated with you! Thank you so much!
Instagram: @photography_genetics -or- @klutzybutterscotch
Keep reading
More stories from Cora Mack and writers in Motivation and other communities.
I Never Chose the Easy Path; I Always Chose Hardship
From the earliest memories I can recall, life presented me with two roads. One was smooth, inviting, and well-trodden—a path that promised comfort, approval, and ease. The other was rough, rocky, and uncertain—a path of struggle, obstacles, and lessons that demanded effort, patience, and resilience. I never chose the smooth road. I never took shortcuts. Not because I was fearless, but because something deep inside refused to let me live a life that wasn’t earned. The easy path whispered promises of fleeting satisfaction, fleeting success, and fleeting recognition. It was tempting. Many around me chose it, and I often wondered if I was foolish for ignoring it. But I learned early that true growth is rarely convenient. The easiest choice often leads to emptiness, to regret, to a quiet knowing that you could have been more than you allowed yourself to be. Hardship became my teacher long before success ever noticed me. The lessons it offered were harsh, uncompromising, and often lonely. There were days when choosing the hard path felt like choosing isolation. While others were celebrated for small accomplishments, supported by friends and family, I walked in silence, with doubt as my companion. Progress was invisible to the world. Failures were frequent and relentless. Many nights, I returned home tired, my heart heavy, my mind questioning why I even bothered. Yet even in that silence, I was being shaped. I was learning the value of persistence, of dedication, and of refusing to give up on myself. The hard path forced honesty. It refused to allow excuses. It stripped away illusions and pretenses. I was left face-to-face with my limits, my fears, and my own humanity. On this path, I discovered strengths I never knew I had: patience I had never cultivated, resilience I had doubted, and self-respect that grew every time I stood up instead of walking away. These were not lessons that could be taught in comfort. They were only learned in struggle, in challenge, and in the quiet persistence of refusing to quit when no one was watching. I remember one time vividly. I had a goal that seemed impossible—one that required me to sacrifice comfort, leisure, and social approval. The easy path was right there: a way to avoid the challenge, to be “okay,” to follow what others had done before me. Many advised me to take it. “It’s safer,” they said. “It’s simpler,” they said. But I could feel, deep inside, that taking the easy way would leave me empty. I chose the hard path. The journey was grueling. Every step felt like pushing against gravity. But with each challenge, I gained more than I ever would have on the easy road. I gained endurance, confidence, and an understanding that real achievement is never handed—it is earned. Strength, I realized, isn’t loud. It doesn’t announce itself. It grows quietly, in the moments no one sees—the early mornings, the long nights, the repeated failures, the times you push forward when giving up would be understandable. Resilience is not simply surviving; it is deliberately choosing to continue, to stand again, to pursue the path that tests you the most. It is knowing that walking away is easier but will never lead to the person you are capable of becoming. I have walked many hard roads in life. Each one was different, yet the lessons were the same: comfort cannot teach endurance, shortcuts cannot teach discipline, and fleeting success cannot teach respect. Every struggle, no matter how small, adds to your character. Every failure is a mirror that shows you who you really are. And every choice to face hardship instead of fleeing builds a foundation that lasts long after temporary victories fade. There were times when I felt truly alone. People around me often misunderstood my choices. Friends, family, colleagues—they all questioned why I refused the easy way, why I worked harder, why I pushed myself beyond what seemed necessary. They didn’t see the growth happening quietly inside me. They didn’t see the small victories, the lessons learned, the resilience being forged. But eventually, the results spoke for themselves—not in a loud announcement, but in the quiet confidence and self-respect that I had built from the inside out. Life, I have learned, rewards those who endure hardship. Not always immediately. Not always visibly. But it rewards those who persist, who face struggle head-on, and who refuse to settle for anything less than becoming their fullest selves. Success that comes without effort is temporary; strength and self-respect are eternal. Hardship tests us, but it also teaches us. It shows us the depth of our own courage, the strength of our will, and the power of refusing to surrender. The lessons of the hard path are subtle, often invisible, and always lasting. I learned that failing is not shameful; failing is a necessary step toward mastery. I learned that enduring pain, even when no one notices, builds a type of strength that comfort never can. I learned that the more difficult the path, the deeper the reward—not measured in wealth or fame, but in character, wisdom, and self-respect. Every choice to embrace struggle instead of avoiding it shaped me. Every sacrifice, every extra hour, every moment of doubt faced instead of ignored, added to the foundation of the person I am today. My life was not easy. It was messy, unpredictable, and often overwhelming. But it was authentic. It was mine. And through hardship, I became resilient. I became someone who can face challenges without fear because I have faced them before. I became someone who respects themselves because I have honored my own effort. I became someone capable of growth because I refused to choose comfort over character. I often reflect on the people around me who chose the easy path. Many of them achieved quick victories, immediate recognition, and temporary peace. But over time, I noticed something important: the victories were shallow, the peace fleeting, and the growth minimal. They lacked the depth of resilience, the quiet power of self-respect, and the profound satisfaction that comes from knowing you endured, you learned, and you became someone stronger. Choosing hardship is not glamorous. It is not celebrated in real-time. It is often lonely, exhausting, and demanding. But it is transformative. It shapes your mind, your heart, and your spirit in ways comfort never can. It teaches discipline, patience, humility, and courage. It makes failure meaningful, effort valuable, and success earned. The hard path is where true people are made—people who understand that life’s challenges are not punishments, but opportunities. Opportunities to become better, stronger, wiser, and more capable. I never chose the easy path. I always chose the harder road, the one that tested me, the one that demanded effort, and the one that required me to face myself honestly. I walked through fear, doubt, exhaustion, and setbacks. I fell, and I got up. I failed, and I tried again. I cried, I questioned, I endured. And through it all, I became someone I could respect, someone who knew the value of persistence, someone who understood that hardship is not the enemy—it is the greatest teacher. Today, I measure success differently. I do not measure it by comfort, convenience, or ease. I measure it by growth, resilience, and the depth of self-respect I have cultivated. I measure it by how I faced challenges I could not ignore, how I embraced struggles that seemed unbearable, and how I refused to take shortcuts at the cost of my own becoming. I never chose the easy path. I chose the one that made me resilient. I chose the one that taught me self-respect. I chose the one that allowed me to become the person I am today. And if I had the choice again, I would choose the hard path every single time. Because the road of struggle is not only a journey—it is the making of a human being.writing...
By Ihtisham Ulhaqabout 17 hours ago in Motivation
Bruce Lee and The God of War: Kuan Ti
It starts with love.. The Power to the God Of War and Wealth Walk into a Chinese restaurant (even in Oklahoma, USA), a Chinese police station, a kung fu martial arts studio or even a Chinese temple and you often see a red faced warrior holding a heavy quan-do (spear like weapon).
By WILD WAYNE : The Dragon King4 days ago in Chapters
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.