What will save you?

"No parachutes or safety nets here.  One foot on the water to face these fears.  I'm coming out strong like I can't be wrong.   I said, hey, I won't fall in the middle." -From Mat Kearney's "In the Middle"

Everyday, there is a new tragedy that is broadcast to the world.   Maybe we have experienced our own.  Or perhaps we are having to deal with a struggle that is seemingly beyond our control.  One thing is certain.  It is up to us to prevent ourselves from falling. So what does it take to rise above?

Personal experience has repeatedly told me that there is always one thing that I can count on -- and that is FAITH.  This can be interpreted a number of ways, but ultimately I have found that a person can almost always prevent a fall by believing -- having faith -- in something.  For me, that faith is two-fold.  Part of it lies in a power much greater than me, Whom I cannot control, and works in mysterious ways.  But just as important, which I can control, is the faith that I have in myself.  Allow me to elaborate.  The fact of the matter is that, as humans, we need to take responsibility for our own outcomes.  If  I continue to push - to strive to make things better - to persevere - eventually I will.  The goal is to never - EVER - give up on oneself.  I am not saying that this is an easy choice to make because sometimes giving up and feeling sorry for yourself is so easy and convenient to do.  But I am saying this:  If you can find the strength you need to have faith in yourself, to believe in you, that will be a huge step in making sure that you never sink.  When you refuse to settle, you give yourself a chance, you make a gamble, and take a giant leap of faith.