Warning! Are you a potato, an egg or a tea bag?

A potato is hard but when it’s put in boiling water it goes soft.

An egg is runny and soft but it goes hard when put into boiling water.

But a tea bag, well I love the quote “You never know how strong a teabag is until you put it in hot water” and I feel that we as humans can be similar to this analogy.

We see our strength the most when hardship is upon us.

We find how strong we can be and how much we can overcome.

We get shown the strength of our relationships too; those who reach out, go the extra mile, send those funny GIFs or pictures and videos to make you smile if only for a moment.

You have survived, got through, scraped by 100% of all your bad days! That’s one hell of a statistic and something that keeps me from falling under. I will get through this storm and the next after that as well. I am an overcomer and so are you, reading this today!

I fell into the trap of letting myself lose hope and get discouraged. I’ve seen it in others too which can make you feel powerless which is why the above is something to hold onto even in the darkest of times. It may only be a flicker on a candle but it’s enough to light the way.

So here are a few things that help keep that candle alight:

Showing up with gratitude every morning and every night can help keep you grounded and humbled by the small blessings we may take for granted some days. Start with 3-5 things you can feel grateful to have in your life.

Share thankfulness with others, whether friends, family or strangers. If they make an impact or share kindness with you, share a smile and a thank you back. Watch them feel the love and kindness you have shared back to them.

Go out and make a difference, sometimes we don’t always see the change we want - sometimes we have to be the change to see it. You don’t realise the power you hold within yourself to make a difference. It doesn’t have to be a global change; it could be just you, your family or your local community.

Be vulnerable, that may be something that doesn’t come naturally or feel comfortable. Let’s stop glorifying things if times are tough or even if they're not but you had to put in hard work, stop making the journey seem so carefree.

Sparkle like the diamond you are! I love sparkles and glitter and I believe we all possess the opportunity to let our souls feel alive and shine. If you don’t know what makes yours, maybe now is a good time to start trying things out and get curious. We are worthy of being compared to a diamond because we are all unique!

This is how we can become the tea bag, especially in hot water, by keeping things alight. Step by step, one moment at a time, bringing the sparkle back into our lives so we can gradually get back up, focus on the next move and survive another 100% of our days.

This could take some days or even weeks but you will get through this and shine again. It will make you stronger and you will find what strength you have in you all along. Build on this resiliency and keep taking on the next mountain or molehill.

Be the tea bag.