I have spent years traveling across the United States, walking into schools, prisons, military bases, and communities of every kind. What I have learned is that struggle looks the same everywhere. Sadness, depression, anxiety, the loss of connection, and the fear of the unknown affect us all.
From my own experience, I know emotions can feel like a storm rolling in. The rain, the thunder, and the lightning can shake us and even change the way we act. We cannot stop the storm from coming, but we can decide to build a shelter when it does. Your mind and your body are that shelter. The question is, how will you build it?
Like any building, a shelter needs a strong foundation. Nothing can stand without honesty. Imagine building a house without a true plan. The walls would collapse and the roof would cave in. It is the same with our lives.
The first step is self-evaluation. Ask yourself, ‘how am I feeling right now?’ ‘What can I do to feel better?’ The second step is action. What can I do to shift my mindset?
For me, the fastest way to change my mindset is music or working out. Sometimes it is having an uplifting conversation with someone I trust. I also ask myself simple questions. ‘Am I getting enough sleep?’ ‘Am I eating healthy food?’ ‘Am I giving myself time away from my phone to think and breathe?’ Prayer and meditation have also been huge for me. The truth is you always have to be working on your building, and that building is you.
That is why I became a musician as well as a speaker. Music lifts me up, and I have seen it lift others, too. It reaches the heart in ways that words cannot, which is why I bring both my songs and my speeches to people across America.
I have also learned that everybody is struggling. Nobody has an easy life. Nobody is exempt from pain. When I was young, I slept in a homeless shelter and in foster care. I lost my mother to suicide. Later in life I faced addiction, jail, and bad choices. But even in my darkest moments I realized I was in the middle of a storm and I needed a way out. That is when I learned the power of self evaluation and accountability.
If you are in the middle of your storm, I want you to remember one thing” Tomorrow needs you. You matter more than you realize and your story is not over. Build your shelter. Reach for the tools that help you, whether it is prayer, journaling, connection, exercise, or music. And do not be afraid to ask for help.
Storms will pass but strong people remain. And so will you. Sometimes the rain may pour and you may feel lost in the mud, but as long as you keep moving forward you are not lost. You are still on your way, because Tomorrow Needs You.
Submitted by Ryan Stream
