Gus (Bright Side, #2)

by Kim Holden

Some people are threatened by silence and try to avoid it or fill it with needless bullshit. Silence isn't the enemy. It can bring comfort and clarity and validation. It's a reminder of time for what it is…presence.

How do you go back to doing what you did before, when half of you is gone forever?

Can't judge when you don't know what kind of shit someone else is dealing with. I've learned that the past few months. I have a feeling your heart is heavy, and when your heart is heavy, everything's harder. Dealing with life is harder. Believe me, I know. The negative is amplified, and sometimes that extinguishes the peace."

I'm asking because I want her to be comfortable. In her own skin. Literally and figuratively. I want her to just say, Fuck it. I am who I am. Nobody's perfect. Because nobody is perfect. Some people wear their scars on the outside. Others wear them on the inside. Same difference. Your character, your heart, your essence, that's what's important, because that's the real you. All the rest, our looks, the material stuff? It's just meaningless bullshit.

There's something epic that happens every day if you look hard enough for it. And every day is a chance to go out there and do epic. The key is putting forth the effort. She did. Every fucking day she did. We all should. Is it harder? Hell yeah. It's much easier to complain…or self-destruct…or do nothing at all. But where's the magic in that?

I'm at the tipping point of a transformation that began months ago, an intentional decision put in motion. And it feels so fucking good. I've come to the full realization that my happiness, my life, falls squarely on my shoulders. No one's gonna do it for it me. I'm the one who makes it or breaks it. It's a choice. A choice that demands action in exchange for reward. Idleness and complacency lead to mediocrity. Sometimes action is really fucking hard-fought, but that's when the payoff's the highest. That's when great things happen. Not good things…but epic things. And I've fallen in love with epic. It's the only way to live.