We are talking to you right now.

To. You. Yes, you.

You – the person who is struggling this holiday season missing a loved one. Maybe they have passed from this Earth. Maybe you have lost connection with them, for reasons that are hard to explain. Maybe you or they have made a conscious choice not to have an active relationship, because your interactions are not healthy. But, it doesn’t stop you from missing that loved one. Yes, you.

You – the person dealing with employment struggles. Maybe you are between jobs, and you are wondering where your next paycheck is going to come from. Maybe you are stuck in a job that you dislike, that does not fulfill your passions, that pays you less than you deserve, that has a toxic and negative environment. But, you can’t see a way out. Yes, you.

You – the person struggling with physical limitations or illness. Maybe you are dealing with a life-threatening illness, and you don’t know if this will be your last holiday. Maybe you were injured in an accident, and you are feeling defeated in your recovery. Maybe you have fought a lifetime of mental or physical ailments, and you wonder if you will ever truly feel healthy and alive. Yes, you.

You – the person who feels in a dark and lonely and lost place. Maybe it is hard for you to get up everyday and put on a smile for those around you. Maybe you don’t know if you will ever again feel motivation to achieve your dreams. Maybe your feelings of hopelessness are leaving you wondering why life is worth living. Maybe you feel completely and entirely alone in this world, like no one else feels the way that you do, and no one can understand your pain. Yes, you.

You – the person who has survived trauma, but is still living with it every day. Maybe you were abused by someone you trusted, and you wonder how you can ever trust again. Maybe you were hurt by someone you cared deeply about, and the pain in your soul feels overwhelming. Maybe you are afraid to fall asleep at night, because you might have terrible dreams about things that never seem to leave your psyche. Maybe you feel such intense resentment, and anger, and hate, you wonder if you will ever feel peace and calm inside. Yes, you.

You – the person who is financially struggling. Maybe you work so very hard, day after day, and yet it seems like nothing you do ever allows you to “get ahead” in the world. Maybe you were hit with unexpected costs this year, and you feel like you are drowning in the debt of those costs. Maybe you feel like there is no end in sight to the constant financial worries that you feel. Maybe you can’t buy your children the gifts that you want to this Christmas season, and you feel sadness and guilt over your financial struggles. Yes, you.

You – the person who is trying to heal from a divorce or broken relationship. Maybe you are the spouse that has been cheated on, and you were left with no choice but to move on from your relationship. Yet, you feel broken and used, and you wonder if you are ever going to find someone that you can love and trust again. Maybe you are the person who had to fight to find the courage to leave a toxic relationship, and while you are proud of yourself for doing so, sometimes it feels so lonely, you wonder if you would be better back in that toxicity, than living a life by yourself in this world. Maybe you are still in that toxic relationship, but you don’t know how to get out, where to go, how to survive. Yes, you.

You – the person struggling with addiction and trying to find a way out of the despair. Maybe you have been an addict for so long, you can’t imagine your life without your “best friend” helping you survive. Maybe you feel so dark, so deep down in a hole, that you wonder if you can ever escape. Maybe you don’t know where to turn for help, or you have asked for help, prayed for help, begged for help – but, it never seems to come. Maybe your family has turned their backs on you, you have lost all of your friends, and you feel like you want to drown your pain in alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex. Maybe you can’t imagine the rest of your life without relying upon your addiction to get through every day. Yes, you.

You – the single parent fighting to provide for your children alone, raise them alone, give them what they need alone. Maybe you don’t have any financial help, and you wonder how you can take care of your children the way that they need on a single income. Maybe you work so hard, trying to bring money into the house, you barely have time to spend with your children. Maybe your children are resentful and angry that they don’t have a family “like other kids’ families.” Maybe you love your kids so much, so very much, but love doesn’t feel like enough to give them. Yes, you.

You – the person struggling through life. Who feels like you are never going to get out of the dark valley you are in. Who can’t see a path out to the light. Who wants to give up. Who doesn’t know where to turn. Who feels lost. Directionless. Alone. Hopeless.

We speak to you. We send these words, through this message, straight through your screen, directly to you. This message is meant for you.

You are not alone. Somewhere, out there, at this very minute, some other person is going through the very same struggle you are today. And, somewhere, out there, at this very minute, that other person will choose to continue on, to fight, to move forward – just like we know you are capable of doing. Knowing you are not alone won’t fix your struggles today. We know that. But, knowing you are not alone can give you the hope – the hope you need so badly – that if someone else can survive the very thing you are going through, you can too. We KNOW you can, too.

We believe in you. We believe that you have what it takes, inside you, to continue with courage, hope, and perseverance through your struggles today. We believe – in fact, we KNOW – that, if you dig deep, if you fight hard, if you believe enough – you can find your way to a better path.

We want you to hear this. These words. You – you, out there, at this very moment -- YOU have beautiful and inherent worth. Not worth based upon where you are in your life right now. But, worth simply because you are an amazing human who is living through life’s challenges. Because you are waking up every day, doing this thing we call life. You are worthy, just by being you, just by showing up.

Hear this, too. This moment, this time in your journey on this earth, is exactly where you are meant to be. It might seem confusing. It might seem purposeless. It might feel overwhelming. It might be exceptionally hard, so exceptionally hard that it takes your breath away. But, this moment is meant to teach you something important. It is meant to help you find an inner strength that you don’t know you have. It is meant to give you the courage to fight, and keep fighting, and not stop fighting until you get to where you need to be. It is meant to humble you, to learn to lean on others for help, to ask for help, to receive help. It is meant to shape you into the human that you are capable of being. It is meant to help you soak in and fully appreciate the glorious light, when it shines upon you, because you have felt the weight of the darkness.

This time might be hard. So exceptionally hard, you want to give up. But, you do not have to give up. All you have to do is take one tiny step forward every single day. If you can’t stand up enough to walk, crawl. Even an inch. Every little bit forward adds up, until eventually, with patience and time, you will be beyond where you started. And, as you take small steps forward, you will gain momentum, and eventually, that momentum will propel you towards your destiny.

You are bigger, brighter, more beautiful – stronger, hopeful, more courageous – than this moment in time.

So, today – stand up and fight. Fight for what you deserve. Fight for what you want in life. Fight for what the future holds for you. And, don’t stop fighting. Fight for as long as it takes. Fight with every ounce of energy you have in you, day after day, until you achieve what you want and become the person you want to be.

You deserve to fight for yourself. You deserve what the future holds for you. And, today – we say this to you. Yes, to you.

You ARE beautiful, strong, courageous, powerful, and worthy. Don’t ever forget that.