“C, be patient because the best is yet to come. No matter how far the finish line may seem from you now, life is a marathon not a sprint, and the journey is the reward. You may have long days where your fuse is short. You may even grow weary of putting in the hard work for results very few, if anybody, will ever see outside of yourself. But stay encouraged because the trying of your faith produces patience. So let patience have its perfect work in your life.
All that you do is much bigger than yourself. No matter if you try to dispute the facts people are looking at your every move. You are the source of many of their strength and hope for the future. Big shoes to fill, no doubt. All you can do is take it all in stride and do your best to be a living example.
Stop being so hard on yourself. You are your own worst critic. Don’t be afraid to receive your roses while you can still smell them. It’s not about reflecting on your blessings in past tense but enjoy them while they are happening. Life is too short to dwell on what you don’t have, so appreciate the things you do.
Where you are now isn’t your end all, be all. Where you are now isn’t solely a by-product of your past choices. Where you are now is just a chapter in the story of your life, and the best is yet to come. The end is still unwritten. A blank canvas. Granted some chapters may seem to last a bit longer than others but you have to go through it to get to it. This chapter we are currently in is just adding new dynamics and dimensions to the greatest story ever told…yours!
Progress is a process. There is no quick fix to change, and no short-cuts to transformation. So C, I love you and want you to keep growing, keep learning, keep living, keep loving, because if you want the best, you have to give your best in everything you do from the greatest to the least.”
We all need a word of encouragement from time to time. And when there seems to be no one present to provide it, there is always someone present to produce it…ones self!
Writing has become my outlet, my sanity, and the place I go to express my full being without boundaries. One thing I do, that I found is quite helpful, is write the honest words I need to hear myself speak in my journal. Me talking to me. Similar to someone writing positive affirmations on a note card or an open letter to his/her self. These quick notes to myself allow me the chance to express myself in the moment.
I wrote this one directly after a recent opportunity I had, in which I got to talk with a group of alternative school teenagers who visited the prison for the day. This was done through the prison Outreach Program that I am actively involved with. A highly selective program which I am only 1 out of 5 of its members. This is not a “scared straight” in anyway. This program allows us to have a platform to speak openly and honestly about our lives and how we ended up in this predicament.
Speaking to these teens is like speaking to the 17 year old me. Because of the fact I speak to them with passion and fire, while often speaking through held back tears. My ill-advised choices landed me in this position. So as I pour my heart and experiences out to those who may be able to learn from my mistakes, I pray my message to them can serve as a reminder that life isn’t something to be taken for granted.
Note to self – “Despite your dark past, you have a brighter future! Even if you can only reach one person with your message, the struggle will be more than worth it.”
Cyril Walrond
DOC #309756
