I absolutely adore this quote and the man himself who once said it.  Quite remarkable, that Nelson Mandela, a man who suffered a great deal was able to remain true to himself throughout times of hardship and then persevere with great wisdom and courage.  To this day he continues to inspire people all over the world.

He is a man who we can all learn from.

Everyone in this entire world has experienced suffering.  However, that doesn’t mean we should give-up on ourselves.  We possess the courage, will-power, and strength to overcome any obstacle.

The magic lies within you.  If you can change your attitude and beliefs in midst of suffering, you will have an entire new outlook and inner peace than you ever had before.  It is all about the perspective you choose to view your life through.  For example, Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.”   He also had several more of his businesses fail until he premiered Snow White and it became a famous child hood movie.

The point is to NEVER GIVE UP on yourself.  Sure life will throw you some curve balls, some fast ones too, but it is all FOR you.  Everything that happens to you, whether it appears to be good or bad, is all for your higher purpose.  Embrace failed endeavors, look at them as old paths coming to a dead end and a new one reappearing, taking you to places you never dreamt of going.

It is time that we shut out our old beliefs that make us feel depressed and sad whenever a obstacle gets in our way, and replace them with an open mind and positive attitude.  Everything will work out and ultimately everything happens for a reason, you just have to believe in yourself and trust that everything will fall into place exactly how it should.  Scary?  I know. I have been there many times.  However, the courage, wisdom, and self-confidence I have gained throughout the course of it all is irreplacable.

So if you are experiencing a rough ‘growth spurt’,  please do not become discouraged by it.  Focus on whatever it is that you are working towards and keep moving forward.  We may not understand why life throws us curves balls, but we MUST trust that it is what we need in order to reach our full potential in life.

And remember…

 Never, EVER, give up on yourself!  You are far more capable then you realize.