The truth is the world is not always a best foot forward kind of place. Adversity is real and so are the struggles we face.
Life has nothing to do with being fair or unfair. Life is only life. It does not act on behalf of or in regard to our plans or choices.
Life just happens.

There is more to us. There is more to everybody than what we see on the surface because on the surface, we might see a smile or maybe we see an exterior success. Maybe we see people and look; and as we look at them, we think how their lives must be.
On the surface, maybe we look at a student or n athlete. Maybe we see grades and an honor roll status. Maybe we look at the pretty people and think how “Their” lives “Must” be easier.
We divide ourselves by status and place each other in different echelons of popularity and social appearance.But that’s just an appearance.
Maybe we see the surface of the so-called “Gifted” and think how our lives would be easier if we were more like them. Truth is; however, the surface of anyone is only the surface.
Beneath is often an entirely different story

The following is about strength so as you read; I will kindly ask that you keep an open mind. This is not a plea or a cry for help. Instead, this is a roadmap that starts from where I came from and leads to where I am now, today, here with you.

I believe in the soul.
Even if others tell me there is no such thing, I believe in the soul and the soul’s need to be free.
I believe in the inner self.
I believe in the “Us” deep within that has been covered by layer upon layer of emotion and experience. I believe in the inner self, yearning and aching to break out from beneath the weight of all things.

We live and we learn. Somewhere along the way we form habitual paths. We are a system of daily routines and unvarying ways. some are more crucial and some are less concerning. Some are subconscious and some are more outwardly.

I have seen people try to quit smoking by changing their brand. I have seen people switch the hand they hold their cigarette with to break their habit and lose their usual fluid motion.
It is said that nothing changes of nothing changes, which means even the slightest change can perpetuate the ultimate change.

I say life is math. I see us all as a mathematical equation. I believe we are all this way. I think we are the sum of our past. We are a compilation of memory and a combination of circumstance. I see our personal factors as a mixture of events; some of which, we swore would never happen again, so obviously, we behave in a way to prevent past events from ever occurring again.  

One of my first jobs was a door to door sales job that paid cash at the end of each day. I sold small impulse items like calculators and little things like pens and other catchy knickknacks that people buy on a whim.
None of the items were high priced but in sales like this, volume is key.
In all honesty, I hated this job. I hated the network marketing aspect and the fake promises of owning my own distribution center, which is literally promised to everyone in their interview.
I knocked on doors. I sold most of my products on factory settings. In fact, lunch time was best because all the workers would stop by and buy what I had. But most days were uphill days. I heard no more than I heard yes. And the abuse was terrible. The rejection was unmatchable. At the end of the day, my feet were tired from walking all around throughout different parts of the city. At the close of business day, I went back to the home office with the balance of my goods and paid what I owe to receive what I earned. 

Day 3—

Today is the third day after my Botox treatment. I can feel the physical differences in my shoulders and at the base of my neck. I have a better range of motion and with much less discomfort.
I can clearly see how Botox injections help with pain management. As far as the mental aspect, I am someone that lives with frequent battles of insomnia.
This is a tough thing because like most of the working world, I have a schedule to keep. This is difficult to keep on a full night’s rest, let alone a night where sleep is this thing made for other people. However, after the injections, I can see an improvement in my sleeping patterns. Although I still wake up in the middle of the night to make a bathroom trip or two, I am able to fall back asleep, which is miraculous for me.

Back when I was a little kid, I remember when I had headaches that were bad. Mom used to break up little tablets of baby aspirin and put it with a teaspoon of water. I’m not sure why she delivered the aspirin this way. I suppose I struggled to take the pill itself. Maybe Mom gave me the aspirin this way because it tasted better. I can’t say why she did this.
Unfortunately, Mom is not around to ask but I do remember the teaspoon trick. The medicine was delivered delicately and with love. This was good for me. Also, the aspirin would do its trick. And I understood the exchange; therefore mentally, I knew something was going to help me. I knew that if I felt uncomfortable, I could take an aspirin, wait about 20 minutes, and then I would feel better.