Occasionally， life can be undeniably， impossibly difficult. We are faced with challenges and events that can seem overwhelming， life-destroying to the point where it may be hard to decide whether to keep going. But you always have a choice. Jessica Heslop shares her powerful， inspiring journey from the worst times in her life to the new life she has created for herself：

In 2012 I had the worst year of my life.

I worked in a finance job that I hated and I lived in a concrete jungle city with little greenery. I occupied my time with meaningless relationships and spent copious quantities of money on superficialities. I was searching for happiness and had no idea where to find it.

Then I fell ill with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome （CFS） and became virtually bed bound. I had to quit my job and subsequently was left with no income. I lived with my boyfriend of then only 3 months who financially supported me and our relationship was put under great pressure. I eventually regained my physical health， but not long after that I got a call from my family at home to say that my father’s cancer had fiercely progressed and that he had been admitted to a hospice.

I left the city and I went home to be with him.

He died 6 months later.

My father was a complete inspiration to me. He was always so strong that， for a minute after he drew his last breath， I honestly thought he would come back to life. I couldn’t believe I would never again cuddle into his big warm chest and feel safe no matter what.

The grief that followed was intense for all of us 5 children and our mother， but we had each other.

But my oldest sister at that time complained of a bad back. It got so bad after 2 months that she too was admitted to hospital.

They discovered that she had highly advanced cancer in her bones and that there was nothing that they could do.

She died 1 month later.

I could never put into words the loss of my sister in my life.

She was a walking， talking angel and my favourite person in the whole world. If someone could have asked me the worst thing that could ever happen， it would have been losing her.

She was my soulmate and I never thought I would journey this lifetime without her.

The Moment Of Deliberate Choice

The shock and extreme heart break brought me to my knees. The pain was so great and my world just looked desolate. I had no real home， no money， no job， and no friends that cared. Not one person had even sent me a sympathy card for my loss.

I made an attempt of my own life and I ended up in hospital.

I remember lying in the hospital bed， looking up at the ceiling and seeing my sister’s beautiful face. She stayed with me all night long.

I realised during that night that I had a choice. I could choose to end my life or I could choose to live it.

I looked in my sister’s eyes and I made a decision not to go with her just yet. That I would stay and complete my journey here.

I also made the decision that， I wouldn’t just live any life. I would live the life that I absolutely LOVE and nothing less.

In that moment， the clarity that descended around me was like a light shining in a dark room for the first time. As if the earth’s plates had shifted under my feet and everything suddenly looked real for the first time.

生活有時候困难得难以置信，但又不容置疑。我们面临的挑战与困境似乎无法抵御，试图毁灭我们生活，甚至使你犹疑是否继续走下去。但是你总有选择的余地。从人生低谷走向新生活的杰西卡·赫斯乐普，在这里与我们分享她启迪心灵、充满震撼力的生活之旅。

2012年是我生活中最艰难的一年。

我做着讨厌的财务工作，住在难寻绿色的高楼林立的城市。我忙于无意义的交往，在一些肤浅表面的东西上大笔开销。我寻找快乐，却又不知道它在哪里。

然后我患上了慢性疲劳综合症，几乎到了卧床不起的地步。我不得不辞掉工作，同时也就断了财源。我和那时仅相处了3个月的男友住在一起，经济上完全依赖于他，我们的关系承受着巨大压力。终于我恢复健康，但不久，我接到家里的电话，父亲的癌症急剧恶化，已经住进了临终关怀中心。

我离开了城市，回家陪父亲。

6个月之后，他去世了。

父亲的事让我彻底清醒。他一直很强壮，在他咽气之后一分钟里， 我真的认为，他会活过来。我不能相信，我再也不能依偎在他温暖的怀抱里，享受他宽大的胸怀带给我的安全感。

母亲和我们5个兄弟姐妹极为难过，但至少我们还拥有彼此。

但是，那时我大姐开始抱怨着背痛，2个月后，因疼痛加剧也住进了医院。

医生们检查发现，她已是骨癌晚期，对此他们已无能为力。

1个月之后，她也走了。

大姐的逝去让我陷入难以形容的痛苦之中。

在这个世界上，她是一个能走路、会说话的天使，我最喜欢的人。……