Do you know that feeling after working out for a long period of time? The excruciating pain in your body, making it almost impossible to stand up due to exhaustion? Well, that's exactly how I would describe my life.

It feels like I've been working out for years, facing an overwhelming number of problems that have come my way. The thought of giving up has even crossed my mind. I just wanted it all to end, to escape from everything. It's not easy to have the weight of the world on your shoulders or the feeling that all eyes are on you. The fear of disappointing and frustrating the people you love with a single mistake.

I live on the 11th floor of a condominium near Taft, and sometimes I think about jumping out the window, hoping to escape from all the hardships and relieve the heavy burden in my chest.

Yes, I have suffered from depression over the past few years, and it's far from being easy. Every time I go to sleep, I pray that I won't wake up because if I do, the depression worsens. I would wander aimlessly throughout the day, struggling to get up, struggling to eat. I had my family, but they didn't know I was suffering from depression at that time. Even my closest friends and my girlfriend had no idea. I was all alone. There were moments when tears would suddenly fall, a result of hopelessness.

Those were perhaps the darkest moments of my life. But just like in a workout, your body hurts in the beginning because it's not accustomed to it. However, the more you work out, the more your body adapts, and the pain you felt before gradually fades away because your body has become accustomed to it. And that's where I am right now.

You could call it a miracle, but I somehow found the will to keep living despite the depression. I realized that I have so much to do. I want to travel and explore the world. I want to witness my beloved little sister grow up and graduate from college. I want my mom and dad to see me achieve great things and be proud of me. I don't know what happened, but one day I woke up and realized that my only enemy in life was myself. I had to outsmart myself, and so I did. There are still moments of sadness, but it only goes as far as that. The will to continue always prevails.

There's so much more I want to do, and I can only achieve all of it by overcoming the challenges that life throws my way. I've come a long way. I can slowly see in the distant part of the sky the light that will guide me throughout this journey.