#TheStruggle

In the past few months, my friends have kindly pointed out to me that I tend to speak “Twitter.” Basically, they’re saying that I add random #hashtags to the ends of my sentences. #forrealthough

Most commonly, I’ve been using #thestruggle for just about every situation and circumstance in my life. Sometimes I even use it without even meaning to. I’m not sure which part is worse, the fact that I use the phrase so often, or how dumb it sounds saying “hashtag the struggle.” Let me give you a few examples pertaining to my life at this moment:

1. I’m taking 20 credit hours. #thestruggle

2. I still can’t figure out how my coffee maker works. #thestruggle

3. I’ll spend at least 5 hours and 40 minutes in ensembles each week and still have to factor in practice time on top of that. #thestruggle

4. I’m taking THREE writing to learn courses this semester, which will require at least 30 pages of “professional writing.” #thestruggle

5. All of my favorite television shows are on Netflix. #thestruggle

6. I’m already behind on my reading for classes. #thestruggle

But what does this really mean? The struggle. There’s a lot of struggles in life, and let me tell you, there’s definitely more than 6 in mine. But I’m sure you wouldn’t want to spend your entire day reading about my struggles.

Often times I use #thestruggle when I just can’t handle everything on my plate for that second, day, or even week. I’m either running across Pittsburg or campus from one thing to another, or cooking dinner with friends, or working on homework or planning youth group. I’ve got a lot of things on my plate, and sometimes it’s all just a struggle.

You must be thinking, man, Abbey has a lot of struggles, or she’s just complaining a bunch. Hey – I’ll give it to you, a lot of it does sound like complaining, but isn’t that part of the struggling process? Have you ever struggled with something and said absolutely nothing about it? You didn’t tell a single soul about what you were struggling with? Didn’t seek advice or help? Or even complain to your friends, or boss, or significant other? I’m sure most of the time you tell other people about your struggles. We all complain, we all struggle.

But do our struggles really have to be struggles? Do we really need to let them control our life and everything we do? Do all of our conversations have to be about the (sometimes stupid) things we struggle with?

Let’s be honest here, I don’t have to let my three writing to learn courses be a struggle. I can take charge and conquer them. I can view them as a way to better my writing and an experience to learn something new. I can turn them from a struggle to something I could potentially enjoy. (I’m not saying that’s what is going to happen, but you never know!)

Isn’t that how it is with life though? We don’t have to let our struggles define us, or even control our lives. We can take charge and turn even the biggest of our struggles (mine would be Netflix..haha) into nothing.

Our problems and struggles are so petty in comparison to the struggles of the world. There are people who can’t change their struggles through an attitude change or simply turning off the television. Across the globe there are people who would think this:

1. I don’t have enough money to feed my family for this week. #thestruggle

2. The only clean water is 10 miles away, but I’m too weak to carry the pail. #thestruggle

3. I’ve been affected by infectious diseases, but there are no doctors close by and I can’t afford healthcare. #thestruggle

4. I’ve been rejected from society because of my disability/sexual orientation/race/religion/etc. #thestruggle.

5. etc. etc. etc.

There are so many people in this world that have struggles far worse than I do. Struggles that are serious, struggles that can’t be changed at the drop of a hat, struggles that mean life or death.

So how can I complain about my so-called struggles, when I am so very blessed? How can I complain about an education when there are people who never get the opportunity? How can I complain about a cold shower when there are people who don’t even have clean drinking water? How can I complain about having too many food options when there are people who are starving?

My problems are small and some are rather stupid for me to be going around and saying #thestruggle. I’m blessed in more ways than imaginable, and I need to remember that in comparison, most of my #thestruggle problems are (1) nothing compared to how half of the world lives, (2) can mostly be changed through a change of attitude or heart and (3) don’t have to control my life.