REDEMPTION

Description

RETRACED is a story-telling art project where anonymous individuals submit a true story of overcoming to be illustrated and shared. Original art pieces are given to the author for free, and prints are sold to pay the difference. Each of the prints on this page were inspired by a true story from an anonymous author. This is the story behind this picture:

“August 16, 2017: the day my life changed forever. The negativity [in my life had] reached a climatic peak. The struggle of losing family members, two beloved dogs succumbing to bone cancer, the pressures and failures of medical school applications, and personal strife with myself and friends had taken a toll on me. I was ready to give up on everything and end my life because I felt [isolated, alone, defeated, and unable to recover.] As I laid on my kitchen floor with a knife and in a pool of my own tears, I prayed as hard as I could. . .I gave all of my successes, failures, and problems to [God] because I could not carry the burden anymore. . . I experienced more physical and spiritual growth on that day than in all the four years while in college. From this renewed strength, I changed many facets of myself: I decided to become the man who the Lord wants me to be and cut out all negative influences on my life as well as grow up as an adult. I decided to work on myself, treat my body as a temple, and perform all the actions that I never dreamed that I could do. You would be surprised at the limits that the human body can take and the things that we can achieve by setting our minds to a task. I gave up all unhealthy practices including hanging around the wrong crowd and consuming fast food and carbonated beverages. I even began to work out every day because I was not happy with how I looked or how I was treating my body. In essence, we are the only ones holding ourselves back, and there comes a time when you have to stop making excuses for yourself and just do it. This post serves as a testament that no matter how alone you feel—you are never alone. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and hardship is an excellent time to grow as a person and learn from our mistakes. The farther a bow is pulled back, the farther the arrow will go. For myself, I am proud to say that I [would go on to be accepted into medical school], was cast as the lead role as “Man in Chair” in The Drowsy Chaperone, and have successfully completed Kris Gethin’s 12 Week Hardcore Daily Trainer. I was originally 246 pounds and now weigh a whopping 208 pounds. This may not be the end of my journey, but it’s a damn good start and I will continue to transform to become the best version of [myself] that I can be. I would like to thank God, my family, friends, and Kris Gethin for being there for me in my darkest moments and empowering me. Be the change.”