Oh that body, oh that face, makes me wanna party..

"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strength. When you go through hardship and decide not to surrender, that is strength." - Arnold Schwarzenegger

If there is anything I have learned in this life of mine, it is that the saying "what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger" is one of the most truest sayings I know. When times seem so tough that you can hardly bare it any longer, yet you keep on truckin' anyway, that is your inner strength at work. Inner strength is exactly like physical strength, in the sense that you need to exercise it in order for it to grow.

There are many life situations that will exercise your inner strength. A really tough break up, for instance, will eventually make you that much more stronger. I remember so clearly, many moons ago after breaking up with my first "love", I thought my world would never be the same again. However, after a while I began to literally FEEL my heart and soul growing stronger daily. It was the craziest feeling, one I can not even put into words, but I surely felt it. It was real. It wasn't just a mental issue of getting over him that made me feel stronger, because honestly the inner strength came way before I was "over him". In fact, it was my inner strength that led to my moving on. I wish I could explain that feeling of growth and strength, but I can tell you all this: it was one of the most empowering stages of my life. I was never the same again, for the better.

Then, there are other life obstacles that will always test that inner strength of yours. In 2011, I faced one of the most challenging years in my life. I had some life troubles, and of course through out the course of resolving it and doing what I had to do, I came to realize that nobody will help you but you. There were times when I just wanted to give up, throw in the white flag and be done with it. I wanted to crawl into a dark little cave and never come out. I cried so many tears, but those tears were just weakness leaving my body. I never did give up. I kept taking on every single new challenge that would arise, and I survived each one. I never gave up, and I am a far better person for it today. I have learned a hard lesson, a lesson I hope to never learn again.

One thing I haven't mentioned, the real key to growing your inner strength, is to surround yourself with people who care about you. I could not have gotten through that break up or that life issue without the endless support of my family and friends. They were there for me every single step of the way. It's the same concept as muscle strengthening, really, because you wouldn't do bench presses with out a spotter now, would you? Friends and family are your life spotters. You don't need to have many of them, in fact you're better off with a small trusting circle of loving people than you are with a huge circle of people who can give three shits about what you're going through.

Now, here I am facing yet another life obstacle. I'm taking this one on with less fear, because I thankfully have developed my inner strength from my past experiences, and kept it going. I'm going through this now with many past wounds that I've overcome influencing my next move and the move after that. Like a collection of different experiences that keep adding on to each other and growing from each other. Inner strengthening is an ongoing process. There is no limit, just as there is no limit to how many weights you lift in your lifetime. In order to maintain, you must push on and keep exercising every single day. Keep on truckin'! As the quote above states, it's in the not giving up where your inner strength truly lies.

Stay strong my friends. Never EVER give up!

- VA



Post title credit: Lana Del Rey - Young & Beautiful ♥ (favorite song right now)