By Nation. Africa

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Have you ever felt so low in life that you feel like you have run out of choices? Have you felt like the walls are caving in on you?

As a teenager, it is normal to sometimes doubt the reason for your existence when the going gets tough. But you can never accomplish anything without courage.

Some circumstances in life leave you with scars and these marks of pain should remind us of our struggles once we achieve our goals.

Using my own example, growing up in hardship and going to school with difficulty, you may feel sometimes that you can’t take it anymore.

You exclude yourself from other students because you feel you don’t fit in. They seem too good for you. You actually wonder where you went wrong and why you can’t be like them. You wonder why you have to struggle so hard. I am currently unable to go to college and my two younger brothers are attending school with difficulty.

I know tears are not a solution but you can’t help it sometimes.

But always remember to be strong, keep moving and make a name for yourself.

Starting from scratch, you have nothing to lose by trying; push yourself to go the extra mile.

I have seen the struggles one can endure in life. It can sometimes get too tough to handle on your own and we teenagers need someone to rely on.

Preferably, a fellow teen who knows how it feels when the world pushes you to the corner and you have to find a way out.

Such circumstances in life can lower your self-esteem. I am working on mine, but it can get complicated sometimes.

But I encourage myself because I will be needed one day to encourage someone.

Just know that you will never do anything without courage; it is a quality that is next to honour. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

When you feel you can’t continue holding on anymore just remember “fortune knocks but once but misfortune has more patience”.

So don’t give up, you can choose to live and by living, you can make a change. Don’t let yesterday take too much of today. I hold myself to that maxim.

I hope and I know we can all make it out of these trying days. Always remember you are here for a purpose.

Are you aged 10-20 and would like to be Nation’s young reporter? Email your 400-600-word article to [email protected]