Choosing to Keep Going
You should always fight to live—don’t let sadness and sorrow pull you down. For those living with depression, even taking one small step forward can feel agonizing. Every time you try to move, it can feel like something invisible is holding you back—a deep, aching sadness that keeps stealing your joy.
“When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.” — Kahlil Gibran
That grief, if ignored, can slowly take over your life. You begin to wonder, Where is my joy going? Why do I feel like I’m fading away?
What the Greeks Knew About Hope
According to ancient Greek mythology, hope was the last thing to come out of Pandora’s Box. They saw it as both a blessing and a curse—because hope keeps us going even when things feel unbearable. But that’s also what makes it powerful. Without hope, we might stop trying. With it, we find reasons to keep living, even when life hurts.
You Will Get Through This
It might not feel like it now, but your pain won’t last forever. Storms don’t stay forever, and neither will this. Your teenage years are a time of massive change, and yes, sometimes that change comes with confusion, hurt, and sadness. But it also comes with strength, creativity, and resilience. These years are yours—and they are a gift.
Ways to Keep Fighting
Here are some quick but powerful reminders for when sadness feels too heavy:
1. You are becoming stronger.
This isn’t a cliché. Your ability to feel deeply is part of your strength. Every tear and every trial is shaping you into a more compassionate, wiser human being.
2. You can turn pain into purpose.
The worst things you’ve experienced might one day help someone else feel seen and understood. That’s powerful. That’s healing—for them and for you.
“In her grief, sadness, and sorrow, I thought it was our responsibility to encourage her,” someone once said about a grieving mother. That’s the essence of community—we rise by lifting each other.
Relating Through Pain
Have you ever opened up to someone who just didn’t understand? It felt hollow, right? That’s because pain creates a language only some people can speak—and you are now one of those people. You’ve walked through it. You get it. And that means you can be a source of light for others who are still stumbling in the dark.
You are not broken. You are becoming.
Life Is a Journey, Not a Test
Think of this:
“The lost traveler will find many amazing and undiscovered secrets while looking for a way out of the jungle.”
You don’t have to have all the answers today. Life isn’t a race to some final destination—it’s a journey full of twists, turns, falls, and recoveries. Some moments will break your heart. But others will bring you back to life. And you will be stronger for both.
Never Forget This
You are worth the fight.
You are not your sadness.
You are not your sorrow.
You are still here—and that means hope is still alive in you.
I have never known anyone personally who struggled with depression so I can only imagine how hard those feelings of sadness must be to deal with.
Thank you for this. Some days it is really hard for me to just get out of the fog. I lost my husband 20 months ago. We’d been married almost 22 years. It is not easy, but thanks to my kids and my faith I keep going.
Christy Maurer, I am sorry for your loss. It’s comforting to know that your kids are there for you. This is not easy …Sadness can pull us deep in despair. We have to have hope.
This is a great post. So true, I’ve been through so much in my life. Death of my only parent who was in my life when I was 16, baby at 17, kicked out of my brothers house at 18 with a new baby, and a billion other things that are just horrific in between and I’m still going strong. I’ve never been one to let the bad times over rule the good, but I know so many who struggle.
Jeanine, Moving forward is thinking positive great job.
Such a great mindset to have, although sadness and depression are hard to manage at times… Thanks for the inspiration!
I agree with having hope. This is important because this will hep us recover from sadness and sorrow.
This is really good advice and something to keep in mind. You never know what people are going through, but anytime you can help foster hope it’s a good thing. Sometimes all people need is hope – and sometimes that can make all of the difference.
The depression I suffered from for over a decade haunts me to this day. I reach out when I can to whomever I can… because one voice makes all the difference in the world.
Sometimes life drags you down, but it’s only you who can pull yourself out of it!
This is certainly a good message to pass along. No one should have to live life sad.
I love that posts like this encourage others to think. I love too that they could encourage them to reach out.
I think that it’s important to know that saddess is part of life. It can lead to unexpected happiness.
It can be a hard situation for people to deal with. It is important to find the bright light in every situation.