Life can be a tricky thing to walk through. There are highs and lows, good times and bad times, times of great joy and times of great sorrow. Sometimes, it’s easier to just let things come as they come. It’s easier to just sit back and let whatever happens happen. It may feel during those times that there just isn't a way out, so why not just give up and let things be…. you know, “let’s not cause any ripples in the water” so to speak. Though the easier road may seem like the most undemanding road to take, it won’t necessarily get us to where we’re destined to be. We humans have such a unique opportunity that all other creations don’t. We get to CHOOSE what will become of our lives. Yes, some things are out of our control, but at the end of the day, it’s up to us whether we’re going to drown in the low times of our lives or whether we will make the absolute most of the time we have here on this Earth. It takes stepping out of our comfort zone to achieve our maximum potential. We must be willing to search for a brighter path through the people that are connected to us, the places we travel, and the knowledge that we take in. It all lies in our hands. We have the power, individually and collectively, to make a difference in our own lives; the lives of the people that we share a community with; and those that we may never meet. Have you ever heard the statement, “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out?” This is what it takes to achieve success. One destined for success doesn’t stop simply because of a failure. They dust themselves off and get back up to keep moving forward. This goes for achieving success personally and professionally; as well as when those sad times arrive on our doorstep-such as the death of a loved one or the loss of a job. It doesn’t happen overnight, and sure; we must give ourselves time to “grieve” and reflect on those moments so that we can overcome them and progress in our journey. The moment a choice of giving up is reached is the moment that “death” occurs. It doesn’t mean that an individual will always die physically at that moment, but there’s no motivation to achieve greater any longer. This causes stagnation, thoughts of worthlessness, and no real standard of life, just to name a few characteristics that follow when such a stance is taken. I’d like to challenge my readers to find the thing or environment that motivates you and keep pursuing it. I must warn you that things and people can and will disappear eventually, so it’s best to connect with a consistent source that is available to all of us, if we are willing to take the chance. Jesus Christ is a constant source of stability to anyone willing to find out. He could be right where you need Him when you need Him. You will never have to wonder if He has your best interests in mind. He has already shown His great love for us when He died for our sins. He loves YOU with an everlasting love that will never fade away, no matter how much time passes. He loves YOU regardless of your past, present, or future decisions. His love withstands the test of time! Let Him show you what you can achieve through Him and you will never be the same!