Close your eyes. Look around and realize that you are surrounded by darkness. You are in the pit of your own design. The pit is dark and very deep. It is cold and damp. Open your eyes. Take a close look at your present situation. Many people are in these imaginary pits. These pits are created by the choices that we’ve made. Bad choices cause us to dig even deeper. Consistent good choices allow us to climb out of the pit.

      You have three choices. The first choice is to grow comfortable with being in the pit. Some people are so accustomed to being in a bad situation that they become comfortable with the situation. They simply sit at the bottom of the pit in total darkness. They think that the miserable feelings are simply part of life and they are destined for unhappiness. It really doesn't matter what they do anymore. These are the people who find comfort and security in stagnation. They don’t have enough self awareness to look around them. If they did, they would realize that they have not moved in years.

      The second choice may be the worst. People who make this choice decide to keep digging deeper and deeper. They continue to make bad choices with little concern about the possible consequences. They will continue to live in the moment until the moment finally catches them. This may not happen until some dramatic experience occurs in their life which forces them to stop digging long enough to realize that they have been going down for years.

      The final choice is always the hardest. Climbing out of the pit. This can be extremely difficult because before you can start the long hard climb, you must realize that you are in a pit. People usually don’t like to admit that they have made bad choices or that they are in a bad situation. How do you climb out of the pit? First you must muster up enough strength and faith to look straight up. Can you see the light at the top of the pit? Focus on the light and don’t ever forget that there is always a way out. Begin the climb and accept the fact that it may be long and hard. Be ready to cushion your fall if you slip every now and then. Look at your mistakes and the mistakes of those around you. Don't make the same mistakes twice! When you reach the surface, don’t look back down, just be happy and move on with your life realizing that you did something that most could not. Use the memory of the pit only as a confidence builder. Nothing else.