We all have bad days, bad years, jobs, relationships, or health. But none of these give us the license to be an a$$. Granted, it’s difficult not to be one when faced with adversity, when the world is against us, when everything feels wrong and confusing. But we do not have to let our situations dictate how we behave. In fact, we mustn’t. They have the ability to twist us into someone we do not want to be.

No matter the circumstance, we can control our reaction. Do you want to be the kind of person who is constantly irritable and complaining, hurting and pushing away the ones they love most?

Or, do you want to be among the radiant few who are constant in their determination to focus on the good things in their lives. You’ve seen them. They glow with a steady light, never wavering, ever bright, no matter the obstacles, no matter how deep their sorrow? 

I know who I want to be. I am not always that person, but the more slow down, look at the big picture, and remember what’s at stake—my character, my influence, my purpose—the easier it is to set my chin to the horizon and run for the gold. 

You can feel like hell and still act like an angel.

This isn’t hypocrisy; it is strength. 

Trust me, I know that defeating the ogre within isn’t as easy as flipping a switch. Sometimes there is a lot of pain to work through. One of the ways I work through mine is with music. Music plumbs the depths of heartache and heartbreak in ways that thoughts and conversations never can. Even if circumstances don’t change, even if there is no epiphany moment, letting the soul breathe through music releases something, allowing us to move forward with optimism and gratitude. 

I hope this brief playlist helps you process and overcome whatever it is you face.

Mourning what’s lost: Memories – Cats

Distraught: I Dreamed a Dream – Les Miserables

Longing for what you don’t have: Out There – Hunchback

Letting go: Even if – MercyMe 

Feeling worthless: You Say – Lauren Daigle 

Faith when you’re broken: Into the Sea – Tasha Layton

Hope to rise out of the ashes: Almost Home – MercyMe

Sing loudly, apologize profusely, never stop striving toward kindness, fight to make the best of what you have been given, and always be the light in the darkness.