fall. rise. conquer. △

Things don’t happen the way you want them to. They happen the way they happen. You can complain, victimize yourself — or you can accept what was and do something with what is.

You can feel hate, resentment, frustration. You can feel like every effort was in vain. You can believe that what you want is now impossible, no matter what you do. You can be hard on yourself. You can let small problems take up big space in your mind. You can feel like everything is an uphill battle. You can feel the weight on your chest, the friction keeping you stuck. You can feel small, useless, broken. You can convince yourself your life has no meaning, that you’ve been dealt a bad hand, that you’re cursed. You can scream your sorrows into the void, take your pain out on others. You can isolate yourself. You can look at the future with hopeless eyes, numb and empty, your ambition thrown out the window, your dreams crashing without a parachute.

And then — only then — you might start questioning things. Gain a little perspective. Realize that not everything deserves the weight you’ve given it. You might finally let go — understanding that letting go isn’t defeat. It’s acceptance. It’s knowing that the past can’t be changed. That what happened was the only thing that could have happened. And that failure? It’s not you. It never was.

Maybe you’ll start seeing further than you did before. Maybe curiosity will flicker — and you’ll follow that light. Maybe it won’t lead anywhere special, so you’ll follow another. And another. And another. And before you know it, you’ll realize there’s so much more out there to explore. Adventure beats fear. Optimism overcomes despair. And you’ll keep walking, even when the path is dark and covered in fog. You’ll stumble, you’ll meet monsters — but you won’t freeze. Because fear is only one possibility among many. Because your past no longer defines you.

One day you’ll realize the game of life was playing you — but now, you play it. And when you understand it’s all a game, you’ll play it better. You’ll stay aware. You’ll keep moving forward with eyes wide open.

While all this unfolds, the sun keeps rising to light a new day. The moon keeps undressing at night. The stars keep shining from miles away. Life keeps happening. Babies are born, the wind keeps blowing, the waves kiss the shore, the trees dance with the breeze, and love — love keeps winning battles you didn’t even know were being fought.

And then it hits you. Nothing has changed. And yet, everything has. The chaos, the order, the movement — it all flows uninterrupted.

Nothing changed. Everything kept changing. Perfectly.

Accept that what happened was the only thing that could’ve happened. Take responsibility. Stop complaining more than necessary. Don’t wander through life aimlessly. Don’t take it for granted. Don’t make the mistake of believing your existence is random and miserable — because that’s the real absurdity.

Life can’t be ridiculous. It’s everything, all at once. And reducing everything to one narrow belief is the real lie.

Don’t curse life. Don’t settle for less than you could be. And if you want to know what you could become, start with one thing: relentless curiosity.

Curiosity means chasing the questions, even when the answers scare you. It means learning — every single day — mostly through action. It means telling the truth. To others, but especially to yourself.

Wake up early. Do your duty — your duty as a human being. Go to bed at night, grateful for what was, what is, and what’s still to come.

Believe in something bigger than yourself. Because believing you’re the greatest thing in existence? That’s a dangerous path. And I’m not talking about your full potential — I’m talking about the tiny, limited part of you called the ego.

Do whatever it takes to stay alive. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt. Make a promise to yourself. Expand your perspective. Expand your limits.

Don’t settle for mediocrity.

Go further than you normally do. And start now.

Stop reading. Get up. Take that next step — the one you know you need to take.