I was relating to a friend how I’ve been getting myself in the deepest of shits throughout the past few weeks. I jokingly said I’d “drive off a cliff just to make myself feel better”. Suddenly he got all emo and concerned. Apparently, many years ago, a friend of his jumped off the Penang bridge because he couldn’t handle his problems.

Personally, I have a really bad impression on people who hurt and/or kill themselves because of their problems. No, they’re not pessimists. No, they’re not helpless either. They’re just cowards.

Yes, you heard me. You cowards.

No, I’m not saying that everyone gets hit with the same boulder. I’m saying that the boulder is meant to break your body, not your mind. I’m not saying your faith in God is weak, either.

You’ve got a weak faith, alright. Not in God, but in yourself. No, I didn’t break my fingers by crushing between a door [thank god for that]. No, I didn’t lose any of my parents in a freak accident [thank god for that, too]. At any rate, I’m sure you’ve been deeper in shit than I could even possibly imagine. But being stuck in shit doesn’t mean you should stay in there.

“But I didn’t ask to be put in shit!”

Well, nobody asked you to kill yourself, either.

I’m sorry that you went through a hard life. I’m sorry you went through so much suffering. I’m sorry to hear that you returned from a living hell. Then again, me offering my apologies won’t help to solve your problems would it?

You would be a coward because you chose to ran away from your problems instead of facing it and be done with it. You would be a coward because you chose to stay in the shit that you’ve been put into. You would be a coward, because you’re not brave enough.

You’re not brave enough to grit your teeth. Some of you aren’t brave enough to admit that you’re the one at fault. Some of you aren’t brave enough to accept the fact that it’s NOT your fault. You’re not brave enough to accept the truth; the truth that you actually CAN get out of the shit you’re in. You’re not brave enough to actually try.

My religion has taught me that a person’s sins is his own responsibility. As is his virtues, as well as his own talents. Let’s say you have a remarkable talent for crafting Play-Doh. You possess that talent, it’s yours and yours alone. It is, therefore, your responsibility, as you are the only person capable of not only using it, but also pushing it to its maximum potential.

That’s how you deal with problems, too. Forgetting or escaping the pain isn’t the answer. Embrace it, let the scar be the proof of your life, how you struggled and shone through it like how the sun pierces through the storm clouds. Take charge, take control, and take back your life.

It’s okay to fall and get hurt. It’s also okay to cry when you are hurt. But it’s not okay to get hurt, cry, hurt yourself and cry some more.

Of course, if you actually read this far… you’re anything BUT a coward. Right?

Then again, even if I didn’t hurt myself, I just realised that I really am just a coward after all.