Believe.

Skepticism was always a trait I seemed to have, growing up.
There were just certain things in my life that led me to question or to "not believe in my self". 

This uncertainty led me to question my abilities, and has quickly become a part of my character, that I continually struggle with. 

Sometimes I just find it hard to believe in yourself when you have one let down after another. 

One of the reasons why I have questioned my ability in "music" is because, to me...someone is always better. 

Or when I was in school, and I studied for hours, and days, and even weeks..yet I couldn't pass?
There were those in my class, who had just opened their books the night before and would get A's? 

Believing in yourself is pretty hard right? 
But this is my problem...I need to stop comparing myself to others, and focus on my own abilities.
 
Although I got through school, and I still love to do music, I can only take so much until I...stop believing. 

When I was younger, I was a heavy kid who always wondered if I would become morbidly obese and struggle to gain the acceptance of the public eye. 

The "aww, he's adorable" kid look, would eventually fade fast and it soon turned into a..."wow, can that guy control himself?" 

I would walk into stores, and people would stare at me, with the look of disappointment, or was it disgust? 

Elementary school would be filled with jokes and a barrage of ridicule. 

I tried everything...from all sorts of diets and exercise plans...but I would eventually gain it all back and more. 

You guessed it...I stopped believing. 

Belief in ones self is just as important as attaining whatever it is you are trying to gain.

It takes a certain type of person to admit these struggles, and I admit, I find it hard to believe when I seem to let myself and those around me down. 

I have accepted that things will never be perfect, and that throughout my life I have masked my lack of confidence with a smile. 

But there is one thing that I have never stopped believing...That GOD believes in me and that w/ Him, I can do ALL things. 

Philippians 4:13 says "I can do all things, through Christ who gives me strength" 

Jesus has covered my weaknesses, and has allowed me to be who I am 

He gives me opportunity after opportunity, giving me confidence that I can complete any task if I place Him in the center. 

I know I am going to continue to struggle. 

I know I am going to battle w/ my confidence. 

I know I am going to fail in life. 

I know I am going to get up from those failures and succeed. 

I know I am going to doubt my self, but God will bring me from doubt to certainty. 

I know that I will never stop Believing that God will never stop believing in me. 

Belief is something that takes a lot of faith. 

Faith is something that takes a lot of time. 

and time will allow a person to grow. 

I know I have much growing left to do in my life, but I am ready for every struggle and succession. 

My prayer is that God continues to guide my life in the right direction, and that He gives me every opportunity to believe in Him and myself. 

Blessings. 

Live. Love. Be healthy 

Always, 

Russy 

Quotes: 

"Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful." 

- Mark Victor Hansen 

"Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve. Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do."
- Benjamin Spock

"Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe."
- Gail Devers

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." 

- Proverbs 3: 5, 6