Some days you will feel your heart shatter because of someone who means the world to you; be good anyway.

Sometimes you put all you have into your job and someone else gets the promotion; stay dedicated anyway.

You may want something with all of your heart and receive a different outcome; pray hard anyway.

Your hard work and the extra hours you spend may go unnoticed; work hard anyway.

You may feel like you'll never get to where you wanna be; keep moving anyway.

You may study for a test for weeks and make a C; study anyway.

You may be the only kind word someone hears. You may be the only light in a dark world. Sometimes it seems like everything you are doing is making no difference at all — but it is. Someone is watching you; maybe a friend, or a daughter or even a coworker. Someone is looking at you with admiration and all the love in the world because you are what is keeping them going. Isn't that beautiful?

You can impact a person so much just by your spirit and being who you are. There are so many out there who need you, and someone who needs just one kind word to give them hope. Just one act of kindness can change someone's life. I write this to remind us all how important it is to love, how important it is to be good. The next time someone hurts your feelings, or even just cuts you off in traffic, remember that we all have days that we don't feel like dealing with anyone or anything. Think about how much you have needed someone to say a kind word or smile at you on those days. Our lives are the sum of our relationships with people; we are here to spread joy and love and all the things that matter because life is hard and the world can be a dark place. We need each other.

Remember that you will never drive out hate with more hate. Remember all of these things on days when you are struggling to find purpose. On days when you feel unappreciated, undervalued and unnoticed, remember that you are so loved and so filled with purpose. Remember all of the people that are looking to you for guidance and support. Remember that you are an inspiration and a success story and a masterpiece. You are whole all on your own and you are needed. You are a person who is kind when it is not easy to be, you give when you are in need yourself, and you love even those who are not easy to love.

Remember that when the odds are stacked against you, it's so important to be good anyway. Be kind anyway. Love anyway. That's what you were put here to do, so go be a light. Be an "anyway" type of person; change the world.