Finding My Invincible Summer

“In the depths of winter, I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer...”

I love this quote by Albert Camus. A good friend once shared it with me during a difficult time. Today it popped into my head as I was contemplating some recent events in my life, and immediately I found some inner peace. I think the beauty of this statement is in the realization that an immense amount of strength lies within us. That during the hardest struggles of our lives, when we are stuck in “the depths of winter,” there is still a fighting strength within ourselves. The “invincible summer” within us takes a different form in each and every one of our souls. For some of us it is a fiery passion. For others it’s a tremendous goal that keeps us pushing. And for others it’s a memory or experience that motivates us to carry on.

Regardless, we all have a burning light inside of us that no one can turn off: our inner strength. It doesn’t matter how shitty life gets. How many people turn their back on you, betray your trust, or break your heart. How much others reject you. How many times society says you are failing or living your life in the wrong way. How emotionally draining, psychologically challenging, or physically exhausting life can be. None of our struggles can destroy or surmount our inner strength.

I’m sure you’re thinking, “yeah you make it sound so easy, but life doesn’t work that way. Shit happens. And it’s hard.” I’m not arguing with you there. We’ve all been through our fair share of pain and suffering. Life is full of it, and we can’t change that. But I think we have a tendency as human beings to forget how strong we are as individuals when difficult times present themselves. We surrender far too quickly to the pain, suffering, and sadness. We let the negativity come in and blow out our fire. We let it control us and determine our mood. We let it dictate how we deal, cope, and heal. 

There is immense power in the strength that lies within us. The problem is, WE have to realize that strength and how mighty it is. I might be ranting to all of you about this, but that doesn’t mean I’m good at it. In actuality, I suck at it. I prefer to sink into the pile of crap when it presents itself rather than overcome it. I overanalyze, cry, dwell, and ask a long list of “what if’s”. Not that those are all necessarily bad coping mechanisms, but I never look the situation in the eye and say “I’m stronger than this.” I let it tell me I am weak and won’t be able to overcome it.

So, I’m writing this blog as some sort of cliché journey to self-discovery. This entry is about my recent realization that I am strong. I, just like all of you, have an unbreakable, unquantifiable amount of strength within me. And nobody can ever take that away. Rather than relying on the strength of others, I can rely on my own. Because it does exist. And it is powerful.

It might be the depths of winter for you right now, but you can rise above the chilly darkness. Because there is an invincible summer in you. It’s all yours and it's mesmerizingly powerful. Find it. Acknowledge it. Rely on it. And let it change your life.

And if you haven’t done so in a while…eat a cupcake! I guarantee you, it will brighten your day J