I have a theory about life. Nobody really knows what they’re doing. 🤣 Actually, I have two theories. Everyone thinks their life is a mess.

Some days, like today, I feel both. To the bone. It makes me want to crawl up under the covers and cry my stupid, existential tears.

I can’t remember who said it, but something like, “Bravery is being afraid and doing it anyway”, has always resonated with me during my dark patches, whether it’s during an ultramarathon or during a particularly bad PMS day. IJS.

But what is this fear? What is this darkness? I am a scientist of sorts. One thing I’ve never feared is delving in and observing the darkness. Some of us cope by denying it’s even there. Some of us get consumed and paralyzed by it. But what if we can somehow be one with it? What if we can learn to acknowledge and embrace it but not let it destroy us like it did Anakin Skywalker? Can we learn to dance with it? The baddest-assed, (bad-assed-est?) warriors are graceful…FULL of grace. (Interesting tangent re: religion/spirituality. Will explore later. 😆)

Anyhow, this is when the practice of bravery comes in. During those dark patches, you tell yourself you’ve been here before and you push through, without numbing, without shutting down. The very act of pushing through is your source of personal power. I think where many of us get frustrated and just plain exhausted can be found in our expectation that one victory will eradicate all darkness. Remember, there can be no light without dark. One of those ridiculous Zen truths or whatever.

So here’s a light bulb moment…go seek and face your darkness often because it ain’t going away. Poke and prod at it like a scientist. Ask it lots of difficult questions. Learn it because once you know what it is, there’s no room for fear. Face it. You DO know. You do have the answers. You will make it to the finish line. You will be triumphantly good or bad. But you will triumph. 😂 So choose how you want to go out and stick to that. Every. Day. Be unstoppable, bitches. You got this.

TL;DR? Cobra Kai: Don’t be a pussy.