Madeleine is Making Space for Discomfort

“Discomfort is one of the many important aspects of life. When we aren’t comfortable, we are forced to grow in ways we’d never imagine that we could. It is not only an aspect of the lives we are given, it’s a fact. Life is not comfortable, and that is more than okay. We have to make sure that we take advantage of the moments that make us feel emotions such as jealousy, resentment, anger, and sadness. Only when we finally accept that life isn’t going to be running aimlessly through a field of sunflowers can we fully embrace the moments of euphoria, happiness, love, and laughter.”
Madeleine Gensolin, Student at University of Central Florida

Make Space for Discomfort with LifeSpace

Share your journey and why this is important to you

The journey that led me to this is every small step I have taken to make sure that I am stronger today than I was when I was yesterday. I have lived through nearly everything you can possibly think of – abuse, abandonment, disappointment, you name it. But now, I am able to carry on through anything because my experiences made me what I am today.

When I was 14, my stepmother compared me to a lotus flower. I didn’t understand it at the time. I asked her to explain, and she said, “The lotus is a symbol of resilience; the flowers are the beauty that emerges from murky waters.” I still hold this statement so close to my heart that I got three lotus flowers tattooed on my rib cage. In January of 2019, I realized that the foundations I had made for my mental health were about as strong as those of the Tower of Babel. So, I had to take time away from school and force myself to look inwards. Now the walls that I use to protect myself extend further and stronger than the Great Wall, and I am so proud to say that I am still standing.

I am able to say with confidence that I lived through the moments of discomfort, allowing myself to feel every emotion that I needed to. This allowed me to grow into the person that always I wanted to be. I love who I am today and cannot wait to see who I become in the future.

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How would you like to inspire others?

I would like to inspire others to continue forward, never faltering in their own journeys. You absolutely have to see where life takes you. No matter how low, stressed, and full of self-loathing you feel, you can still get to a point in life where you’re thriving. We all have goals, whether they’re about a career, art, or what have you. I want to make sure that people know if I can get through the low points of life, they can too.

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