Sadness Injures The Heart

When we hold on to sadness too long, it will cause harm.

Image by Annelise Lords

Sheba Valor has been voted the most inspiring and positive motivational speaker in her field every year for the past five years. Through her power of words and incredible ability to motivate and empower, she inspired many. Her heart was making millions of people happy.

That was on the outside. Inside, a fire was brewing. She convinced herself that she didn’t matter.

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Making others happy was more important. After a visit to her doctor, she found out that her heart was bad. She had months to live.

She decided to go out with a bang. At the graduation of 1100 young people, she decided to do more than a speech.

She asks the audience, “If you could be someone else, who would you be?”

Their eager voices shouted, “We would like to be you!”

“Thank you,” she said, taking off her jacket, pants, blouse, and high heels. She then faced the audience in jeans, shorts, and a T-shirt, barefoot.

“Still want to be like me?”

“Yes!” they shouted.

She removed her wig, all her jewelry, and wedding rings. She wiped her makeup off and continued, “Still want to be me?”

“Yes!” they said.

Then she opened another door—the door to the pain in her heart, the door to Sheba Elizabeth Valor's real life, a life of poverty, pain, hunger, regrets, failure, unhappiness, cruelty, and hatred. When she was finished, the audience was in a state of shock.

“Still want to be me?” she asked.

One young lady stood up and clapped. More claps followed until most of the audience stood up and cheered her.

She accepted their applause, saying, “Thank you for your understanding. Many of us possess the power to make others happy but can’t seem to hold on to happiness for ourselves. Whenever you emulate someone, you must be prepared to take their success and failures.

Success doesn’t have one side; it has many, and failure is one of them. I am glad I am your inspiration. As young minds go out into an unpredicted world, you can’t be inspired only by my success. You must also be inspired by my failures because both successes and failures made me an inspiration.

Nothing in life is perfect or pain-free. Go out there and find your path to me or anyone that inspires you.

My path is for me: find and create your own. My story has already been told. Write your own inspiring story to inspire others. Thank you.”

At her next visit to the doctor, Dr. Niven asks, “What did you do to renew your heart? It’s better. Your blood pressure is normal, your Cholesterol is good, your vital signs are good, and everything seems to be better for you.”

Sheba smiled and said, “I opened the door and let happiness in.”

Sadness injures the heart, but as soon as you let happiness in, it will heal and renew it.--Annelise Lords

Thank you for reading this piece. I hope you enjoy it.