Strength

I pride myself on my physical strength. I love it. I've been working out for years. It's an amazing feeling. I'm physically strong because lifting weights/sports was my way of escape. I used it to get away from reality.
I spent years thinking that if you were physically strong, you could do anything. It didn't matter.
About two years ago, I realized how wrong I was. I noticed that I'd had almost no good memories with friends. Really, no friends at all.
It was a hard realization. I was so independent of everything else, that I didn't even try to be happy. I thought I was strong enough to make it on my own.
I didn't know that I had almost no emotional strength. I'd blocked myself in. Blocked everyone else out. I didn't want friends, because they couldn't help me more than I could help myself.
I was antisocial. People were scared of me. I wouldn't talk to people. I wouldn't smile. I would sit in class and participate the bare minimum. Looking back, I scare myself.
I was like this for almost a year. I met a girl who I just connected with. She reminded me of me. She had the same look in her eyes that I saw in the mirror every day. We started talking more. Found out we come from similar pasts. We also figured out that we relied on ourselves and didn't let anyone else in.
We kept talking. I started to realize that I need other people. I didn't realize how empty my life was until I saw it in someone else. It was rough.
Our lives are all about relationships. Our friends support us more than we know. Sometimes it takes losing it all to figure out that you had it all. Your life isn't all about you. You affect more than just you. What you do affects everyone around you. A smile could brighten someone's day.
Don't be scared to let someone in. Even if it's just a little bit. That person may need strength.
Life isn't about physical strength. It's about emotional strength. Without emotional strength, we're empty. We need other people, too. We aren't strong on our own.
Thanks
Tyler