We all have those nights where we don't sleep a wink because of something that happened that day or that week. It is something that we have to take into our control and figure out even if we may think that it is impossible to do. Maybe you have to deal with the situation on your own or maybe you have a great support system of friends and family. Having a few close people you can confide in can go a long way, so go ahead and figure out who those few people are and make sure to keep them close to you. These are the people that shouldn't judge, should have a good listening ear, but also be able to give advice without you getting mad, and someone you can laugh and cry with. Take a few minutes to think about this and make your list for the next time you need a good friend or family member to talk to.

I know the people on my list would always be there for me through thick and thin. I am forever grateful for these individuals and I couldn't be more blessed to have them in my life. They are literally my best friends and siblings. They have been there to support me and help me through rough patches. It doesn't matter what the situation is, I know they would be there in a heartbeat. I also know it doesn't matter the topic of conversation because we can literally talk about anything and everything together. These are my people and you need your people too.

Besides having your people to get you through these hard times you need to have faith. Faith in yourself, in others, the situation, and in God. He will never judge and never compare your situation to someone else. He is always there to listen and you don't need to worry about saying the wrong things or saying too much or too little. Faith can get you a long way and is something that will be with you forever. Don't lose faith in anything, it will get better and you need to remember that.

Now that you have faith and your people, you need to realize the facts. Look at the situation and take yourself out of it. Sometimes it is a good thing to try to get a different perspective on it. You can try to look at it from a new angle and a new set of eyes. Hopefully this allows you to take a step back and to figure some things out. As hard as it may be, try not to overreact or make the situation worse than it may be. Remember everyone is different and we all handle things differently so don't try to handle yourself like you think someone might because chances are it isn't going to work.

So you have your people, you are keeping faith, putting things in perspective, and now you are going to do three more things. The first one is cry ... let it out and just cry as hard as you can. You will feel better even though your eyes may hurt after. The second thing to do is breathe ... take a few deep breaths in and out. Keep doing this until you are calm and can think straight again. The third thing I want you to do is smile ... this may sound weird but we are all beautiful humans and we all deserve to smile. So look at a funny picture or video or do something stupid just make yourself smile no matter what it may be. You will be happy you did afterwards.

You are strong and so am I. We will not let the tough times define us, rather we will learn from them and become people because of it. I like to tell myself: "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger!" This is true to a T and it may be hard to remember in rough situations, but please try to because it is important to keep your head up! You can get through whatever you may be going through and I know I will too. Cry ... breathe ... smile, repeat and you will get through this!