What If Losing Everything Was The Best Thing To Ever Happen To You?

losing everything

Losing everything you have is terrifying. Whether it happens gradually or all at once, it’s scary. It takes a lot of work to build everything back up again. But sometimes, losing everything can be good for you.

I’ve been struggling with mental illness from a young age. At first, it didn’t affect things all that much. However, as soon as it got out of control, I lost everything – including myself.

Everything I once knew was gone. I couldn’t go to school anymore and as a result, I lost the majority of my friends and any sense of a “normal” life I had. I was unable to do any of my hobbies because I was too depressed to even get out of bed. All I did was either spend time in a hospital or attend appointments. My whole life became centered around my illnesses and it became the only thing I knew — and the only thing I was. I hated that more than anything else. I wanted all the things I lost back and I wanted my old life back.

But losing everything gave me the chance to start again and to build things the way I wanted.

Even before I lost everything, I still didn’t know who I was outside of my mental illnesses. It took losing everything for me to realize that I am so much more than them. It took years, but I’ve finally begun to find myself. I’ve learned that I’m passionate about helping others and making a change in the mental health system. I’ve found refuge in writing in a different way than before it was one of the things that got taken away from me. Moreover, I’ve realized how much I care about the environment and animals, and became vegetarian at the beginning of my recovery journey. 

After learning that I love helping others, I decided to turn this passion into a career. As a result, I’m beginning college to become a child and youth worker in January.

Previously, school was one of the things that was ripped away from me, but I’ve gotten that back in a way I never have before. Plus, through treatment I’ve met some of the best friends I’ll ever have. Even outside of treatment, I’ve made true friends because I don’t feel the need to hide who I am anymore. These two things have become my two biggest motivations to continue recovering and contribute the most to my happiness.

Before losing everything, things like these seemed small and I took them for granted. It’s sad that it took losing everything, such as a more  “normal” life, in order to build my life the way I always wanted. But I could not be more grateful.

If you’ve lost everything just like me, try to see it as an opportunity. Think of it as a new start, and it could be the best thing to ever happen to you.

Featured image via Julia Caesar on Unsplash

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