aconnormanning:

3 years ago I was in active drug addiction, failing every one of my classes at school, being abandoned by my close friends, and shunned by my mentors. I was seconds away from taking my own life. I had nothing. I had lost every shred of dignity I had, was physically wasting away to nothing, and saw no future for myself.

I don’t even remember what stopped me that night. I wish I did. All I know is that I chose to stay that night.

3 years of work and persistence later, I’ve built a passion for myself. I’ve found a deep meaning in my own life, something I’m so genuinely proud of. I’m about to fulfill a dream/goal I set of moving to Los Angeles. I’ve been invited to VidCon for the purpose of speaking about mental health in the context of YouTube. I’ve been drug free for almost 3 years.

I’m not telling you that all your problems are going to go away and that your dreams are gonna come true just because you stay. I am telling you that they never can if you don’t allow yourself the opportunity.

Even if they are not clear to you yet, there are reasons for you to be here. There are reasons for you to shape your world into a beautiful life. It’s never easy, but if it were easy, it wouldn’t be worth it. The greatest obstacles lead to the greatest achievements.

This life is the one shot you’ve got. There’s gonna be a lot of pain along the way, but there’s also the potential for so many amazing things and people for you.

Please stay.