There are certain sayings in life that typically reach out and hold on to your attention for dear life. They desperately cling to you hoping that in your toughest moments that you'll see them still gripping your conscious and allow you to stand true on your morals.

Mine just so happens to be "give more than you take." It's been said in almost every type of situation and holds true to the connotation when tax season comes around. In my heart, however, it means something entirely different. It's a feeling that everyone should know before they die, something to pass down to the generations after us, and a belief that this world doesn't hold as close to their hearts as I do.

Being a leader in multiple college organizations, I see how we struggle every day -- students who walk around half coaxed into depression because they have no one giving them what they truly need: a pep talk.

Stick with me here because I'm about to get all "Kid President"-philosophical.

When is the last time you smiled at someone in the hall? Told a stranger their outfit was gorgeous? Or that you noticed how much effort they put into school and work to be successful? That you see them trying their best? Have you stopped, for just one second, and complimented the non-traditional student who drives two hours one way every day to make it to your class and has two children waiting for their mom to come home?

Well, we should do that more often. In fact, it should be our personal mission each day to give at least three legitimate compliments on things you truly care about. Because here is the thing, you never know what that person is going through.

My favorite video from TED Talk is the "lollipop moment" video. Trained leadership around the world can quote this video backwards sliding down a mountain by this point. It speaks volumes, however, on how our words of encouragement impact our surroundings. The video depicts a leader who gave a boy a lollipop to give to a young girl who just so happened to be terrified of going to college. That was a defining moment in her life. The story ends with the young girl coming back years later and telling the orientation leader that the boy and her were soon to be married.

You see giving doesn't have to be money or fancy objects. Giving more than taking is when you make it a point to consciously stop on your own time schedule and appreciate a fellow human being struggling with life just the same as, if not more, than you. Don't just watch the moment -- change the moment. Say a compliment even if it is a little one. Smile at them and ask them how their day is going. Life is too short for meaningless, uninteresting small talk. Because honestly (and this comes from everyone who has ever worked in customer service) asking “How are you?” while walking past me with your eyes on your phone is rude and unnecessary.

Being a giver means that when you notice someone down and out and in need of a little pick up that you are there to give them that moment. Giving moments are not as rare as we think. They come in multiple small moments every day and are an opportunity to uplift someone else in this big world. It is an acknowledgement to that person quietly saying, “Hey dude/dudette I see you living life and trying your best way to go.”

So here is my challenge to everyone who just so happens to be reading this article: give more compliments than you take. Acknowledge the small wins. Celebrate them like New Year's in the middle of New York City. Jump up and down in the living room when you pay off that one little bill. Tell the new checkout lady not to rush when she messes up the computer system and that learning is part of the process. Ask your grandparents every question about the past that you can.