I wake up in the morning, my eyes yet to see the light, when I am faced with two decisions - wake up or sleep in. Growing up, my mother was always in bed. The bed was the escape room. The bed was the addiction. It was the sought after high. It was the alternative to a life well lived. I promised myself, I would not be that mother. Sometimes, in those few moments upon waking, I am quickly reminded of what is required of me to live all my responsibilities, and then I think of how much easier it would be to hide from it all.

It’s easy to get caught up in the downs of life. It involves suffering and we don’t like to suffer. Yet, life is also about the highs. But the good highs. Not the high we get sleeping in, too scared of living but the highs we experience while actively engaging in our life; those moments when our mind pauses and we think to ourselves, “wow, this is such a beautiful moment. I am so glad I didn’t miss this.”

You may not be feeling any highs right now but that doesn’t mean they will never again exist. Name out loud one thing you are thankful for? If we have nothing to fight for, we have nothing. You are uniquely made. You are uniquely you. Today, I choose authenticity. Today, I choose healing. I choose life. I continue to pursue the depths beyond myself and I encourage the same in you. Pursue the depths. Pursue what’s beyond the surface. That is where the real magic happens. Whatever your going through, pursue what lies ahead by living this moment in which all other future moments are made up of. And never give up. You are amazing and strong. Don’t believe the negative things your mind tells you. You are wanted, needed, and loved, if not for any other reason than because you exist. Every soul is an incredible manifestation of divinity and that includes yours. Honor this by being brave enough to live out your life, whatever that may look like. “I am brave.”

-Kari Prabhakar-