According to the CDC, a person dies by suicide for every 11 minutes that passes by in 2021.
The death by suicide rate in the United States and even globally is scary. Suicide continues to be one of the leading causes of suicide. With the number of teenagers nowadays reporting themselves experiencing depression, anxiety, and bullying, there’s no surprise that this number has been increasing.
Even with the amount of resources readily available to help victims of suicide, the suicide rate continues to climb, so what’s the issue? We can continue to promote the availability of these resources, but a person contemplating suicide isn’t always comfortable reaching out for 1-on-1 support.
That’s why I wrote this article: to those struggling whenever and wherever they are. Here are five reasons why your life is the most valuable thing on this Earth:
1. You mean a lot to others
A typical feeling among people contemplating suicide is their feeling of loneliness and isolation. It’s heartbreaking knowing that when you leave, nobody will remember your name or have an ounce of care. However, many people admire your presence and personality more than you think.
If you leave today, your coworkers, teachers, friends, and parents will all wonder what happened. They’ll all be heartbroken knowing you won’t be able to spend time and share laughter with them ever again.
Whether you think people don’t care about you, your presence in the classroom, at work, or at home matters. In the meantime, it’ll take months and even years for your loved ones to grieve your passing. These people will have trouble focusing at work/school, falling asleep, and adjusting to their loss.
2. Challenges make champions
Whatever struggle you’re going through right now, whether it’s financial, mental, or emotional, know that your challenge is shaping you into a champion. We often view scars as our weaknesses, but these scars reflect our strength from overcoming the toughest battles; it’s what makes us unique.
Instead of giving up on life’s grueling challenges, you can overcome these challenges, learn from them, and blossom into a stronger-minded person. Every challenge that we face in our day-to-day lives serves as an opportunity to grow.
When you receive a failing grade in class, you study harder for the next time. When you’re late to work, you learn how to better manage time.
My point is this: for every challenge we encounter, there are always two decisions we can make. We can stay complacent by refusing to learn or look at the situation from a third-person POV and better ourselves.
3. You’re directing an Oscar-worthy movie
We’re all human with our very own unique story. We all have a story that we will tell to our friends, family, coworkers, and people we will meet in the future. If you were to give up right now, you would be leaving your story unfinished. And we all know how much we hate cliffhangers just as tension from the movie was building up.
With that in mind, you’re the director and have the power to turn life upside down for the better. Though you may not realize it, your story could influence and change the lives of so many people. One of the best sources of wisdom is hearing somebody recall their lowest points of life and how they overcame it.
Steve Harvey grew up in a low-income home, with both parents working tirelessly to support the family. At age 27, Steve Harvey became homeless, got fired, and started living in his car. Through all adversity, Harvey never let his dream of becoming a comedian die.
It would’ve been easy for Steve to give up, considering how lonely and directionless he felt, but his sensational resilience is why he’s incredibly successful. It’s worth noting that we’re all at different stages of life, yet perseverance is crucial in whatever direction we’re heading towards.
4. Pain is temporary, growth is eternal
One of the ways you build muscles is by putting them under tension and pressure. When you perform bicep curls, you feel pain because you’re tearing your muscle fibers apart. Overnight, these fibers are repairing themselves to become bigger and stronger.
This principle applies to every challenge we experience in life. The pain we feel from these challenges is temporary, but on the other side, we come out stronger, confident, and wise. Sometimes, the pain is long-lasting, but that only means our growth on the other side is exponential.
Maybe you’re still grieving the loss of a loved one or struggling trying to find a job. Whatever struggle you’re experiencing, the unbearable pain you’re feeling is transforming you into a better you. It’s a hard pill we have to swallow, but life doesn’t always move in our favor. That’s okay because the best route toward the things we want is sometimes the tough, strenuous, and most burdensome route.
5. Your other self believes in you
When you were younger, you were a little kid imagining what adulthood would be like. You thought about the ultimate amount of candy you can eat, no longer having to obey your parents, and living life happily on your terms. What if I were to tell you that the dream is still alive?
I know it’s difficult thinking about the good during a bad situation, but there’s another version of yourself believing in you. The only person that needs to believe in you is yourself. You’re still here today because that other version knows you have the strength and power to overcome adversity.
Giving up right now is like refusing to finish a jigsaw puzzle. You’re already 60% there, so why give up now? The value of a jigsaw puzzle comes from completing it entirely, not leaving it unfinished. You’ve already put in the effort of getting to where you are now, so why give up now?
Final Thoughts
You’ve probably heard it thousands of times, but please reach out for help if you’re alone. We can’t always go through life alone; we need people to push each other towards the finish line.
Without anybody, we’re a single wolf in the tundra. When we’re with a group of wolves, now we’re a pack. We become much scarier, stronger, and capable of annihilating anything in our vicinity.
