A Community Where All Are Welcomed

Why do I write?

I have found myself asking this question a lot recently. Why do I write? Why do I spend hours (literally) every single day writing and putting content on the internet? Why do I choose to spend my time writing while most people my age are going out on the weekends, or catching up on the latest hit television show during the week?

The truth? It isn’t just because I don’t really enjoy those things in the first place. It’s also because I want to build a community. I want to build a community where all are welcomed. 

Once upon a time (okay, just a few years ago) I didn’t have a place where I felt welcomed. As a male in their mid-twenties, being diagnosed with depression and an eating disorder were not things that one would necessarily go around and brag about to all of their friends. Especially being that I was already trapped inside of my, then, fragile mind, I was left feeling stranded, abandoned, and alone. 

Writing has shifted that for me. It has helped me to see the light in life, to have an outlet where I can release whatever emotions that I am feeling, to have a sense of community, and more importantly, it gave me a sense of purpose. 

We All Have Differences

Surely I am not the only person in the world that experiences obstacles in life. I mean, come on, we all do. But in my opinion, not enough people are willing to accept their differences. Not enough people understand that our differences don’t make us better or worse – they make us human. 

There is not one single person living on this planet who is perfect, nor will there ever be. If you can name one, then please let me know and prove me wrong. 

But yet, despite all of that, perfection is something that so many of us strive to achieve. We are seemingly willing to sacrifice our lives to try and achieve the impossible instead of living the one life that we are blessed enough to live. We fail to realize that we are going to make mistakes, we are going to experience obstacles, and we are going to struggle. 

Here’s the deal, your struggles will never define you unless you allow them to, and I am trying to make it my mission to help as many individuals realize that. You are stronger than your weaknesses, you are not your mistakes, and you will overcome any obstacle that you endure as long as you are willing to believe in yourself. 

These are all things that I truly believe, and things that I want to help others to see in their own lives as well. 

All Are Welcomed

So, back to the question of why I write. I write because I want to build a community where all are welcomed. A community where nobody feels left out and where everybody has a place where they feel invited. 

A place where the depressed can go when they feel alone and need a home.

A place where those with eating disorders can go to gain a glimpse of hope. 

A place where the bullied can go without having to worry about being judged.

A place where any individual can go to find motivation when they need it the most. 

We all have differences, and we all experience obstacles throughout the course of our lives. Some differences might be more noticeable than others, and some obstacles might be more challenging than others. But we are stronger than any challenge that tries to stop us. Alone, there is very little that we will never be able to achieve. Together, there is nothing that we can’t achieve. 

I write because I want everyone to see that. I write because I want to pick others up instead of putting others down.

A Community Where All Are Welcomed

It’s time that we come together as one and help each other out instead of trying to go through life by ourselves. It’s time that we wake up each and every day and make the most out of our lives because this is the only one that we get. It’s time that we change the world because only those who are crazy enough to believe that they can ever do. And trust me, we are all crazy.

It doesn’t matter if you are short or tall, skinny or fat, gay or straight, male or female, young or old, rich or poor, Christian or Muslim, or any other characteristic in between that differentiates you from others, you are welcomed here. 

Sometimes, all we need is a place to go where we can feel connected, a place where we can resonate with others, and a place where we can go to feel inspired. That’s what I want to create, and that’s why I write.

Michael Bonnell

7/30/2019

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