SLYOU Magazine Issue 2 | Page 70

By Khadijah Ashanna Halliday How to not let this life drive you crazy As someone — and not just any someone, a teen — who has battled (or is battling, rather) a number of difficulties for the mere few years of my existence…let’s just say I’ve had my fair share of fighting the crazy that is this world -- this life. When gifted the opportunity to shape my own column, it took me a while to arrive at this topic. I filtered through myriad ideas — from complex tongue-twisting monologues to dark poetic pieces. Ha, you can be glad I opted out of both of those options. I decided instead to approach this simply -- or at least far more simply -- than I was approaching it initially. I guess you could say the decision-making was making me…crazy. And it was familiar—the feeling of going crazy over something, that is. However, that scenario is trivial compared to what I’m really directing this column at. But you get the idea. Here is the first installment. Part I: Find something you love to do No one can truly live healthily without some sort of release. We are emotional creatures. As human beings, we need to vent. This is all part of the human condition. The catch is we won’t always necessarily have or want a person to vent to because sometimes we ourselves may not feel to be surrounded by people — even by the ones we love. And, look, a healthy dose of wanting to be alone to reflect or to think or to just breathe, is okay. It’s how we go about spending that solitary time that prevents us from defeating the crazy. Find something that you love to do, something that isn’t dependent on those you have in your life. Because, truth is everything that involves a relationship isn’t permanent. Relationships are the most precarious things ever. We never know what can happen. And visiting the future to see ahead or even the past to take back a harsh word isn’t an option. No, I don’t see any of us with infinity stones. I say all that to say it truly makes sense to find a hobby—something separate or away from those you love. For example: for me, it’s writing. In fact, when I look back at my past few years in which I’ve dealt with some tough stuff, writing has saved me. Your passion becomes your anchor when you’re drowning in a sea of sharks all wired to drive you crazy. 68 SL-YOU | It’s All About Business Finding something you love to do is like finding that one series on Netflix during which you don’t look at your smartphone for the entire 45 minutes of the episode. I really want to end as real as possible. This life is hard, so we are going to have to put effort into doing things that will help us to live — hopefully beyond just survival, but to thrive. Me? I’m working on that. I mean… I’m still figuring out how to stay sane — if it’s not too late already. But the profound impact that writing has had on my life is the reason that I believe that finding a passion cannot be an option. To fight the crazy that is this life, finding something you love to do and pouring yourself into it is a necessity. Your passion is the saviour that your Saviour has gifted you. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Khadijah Halliday is a student at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. She is a Spoken Word artist, poet, award-winning writer and empath with a keen interest in human behaviour. Follow her on social media: ashspeaksagain Ash Speaks www.slyoumag.com | September-October 2019