I used to stay up late—fingers crossed, biting my bottom lip—hoping so hard that life would be good.

That tomorrow would be sunny.

That I would always be happy.

I tired to trust that life would only bring me joy. Goodness. Beauty. Deliciousness.

And it didn’t.

Of course it didn’t!

I was devastated.

But after a few horrifying (and inspiring) years of swimming in darkness, dancing with my shadows and learning some brutally beautiful lessons—I have a new manifesto:

I trust that life will bring me the experiences I need. The ones my soul secretly cries out for, the ones my heart quietly thirsts for.

I trust that life will give me the experiences I require to grow—to transform, to heal, to open.

To become who I really am.

Some of those adventures (as I like to call ’em) will be joyful and beautiful—some will be painful and challenging as hell.

I accept that.

I cherish that.

Because I know I can navigate the icy-cold waters of difficulty, just as well as the satisfying peaks of success.

I know I can face pain. And love. And truth. And heartbreak. And anxiety.

I’m learning to trust life, sure, but really—I’m learning to trust myself.

I trust that I can take a deep breath and lean on my own heart.

I trust that I can care for myself, with unwavering tenderness.

I trust that I can survive embarrassment, failure and shame—and making a ton of not-so-pretty mistakes.

I trust that I can collapse into a pile of tears—and pick myself back up, proudly.

I trust my strength—my wisdom, my power, my intuition, my vulnerability.

So I take my own hand, as I wake in the pale pink morning light,

And greet the day—

Sunny or rainy,

Smiling or crying,

Excited or dreading,

I take a deep breath

And smile, just a little bit.

I step onto the sand-colored carpeted floor,

And face the sparkling waters of the unknown

With fresh curiosity.

And there is a little breezy whisper inside me, that says—

“I got this.”

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Relephant:

My Secret Weapon for Creating Little Big Changes.

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Author: Sarah Harvey

Editor: Yoli Ramazzina

Photo: Flickr/anton petukhov