I’m going through a lot. It is something we feel 24/7, when we are asked to multitask, spread ourselves thin, try to be other people, to handle family, chaos, etc.

It’s a difficult statement to actually process, because we go through it every day. We physically, emotionally, and mentally thrive through it every day. We burst at the seams, but are like dried up cement in the wall; we have to remain solid to the public, while we crackle apart on the inside.

We all have so much to do and handle that we never stop for a second to express ourselves. Well, we are human. It is acceptable and perfectly okay to let our feelings out, to express that inner voice that is consistently being told to shut up, to freak out. If we didn’t have any ability, time, or chance to express ourselves, we’d crumble into bits of dust until there was absolutely nothing left.

We all need support, and that is okay. I have been asked by many how I went from a place where I thought I wouldn’t be able to handle my life, because I was anxious about so much, to how I am calm and on top of my game today. I definitely do not have all the answers–I am not perfect, and I certainly do not have it all figured out just yet. Through breathing and taking it one step of a time, through the support of my loved ones, and through the support of myself, I have been able to understand the importance of taking it one day at a time.

I would not be where I am today without the support of my professors, my friends, random strangers who give me smiles on the street that make my day, and my family.

We all need support, even if it’s from a random stranger with a simple smile. It is as easy as waving hello as you pass by your everyday neighbors, holding the door open for people, giving your seat someone–an elderly man, pregnant woman, adult, even a peer who looks like he or she had a difficult day. It can be as simple as making someone’s day by offering a helping hand to someone who is bringing their groceries inside from a day of shopping.

Never be afraid to offer a helping hand, to look up and smile at someone briefly, to give a random person a compliment. The most a person could do is say no, look away, and mumble a brief acknowledgment of a thanks in return. That person might have said no due to pride, or any other reason in the book, but he or she is probably thankful that there is still chivalry out there. That person might have looked away because they aren’t used to the kindness of random strangers; they have been told too many stranger danger stories. That person’s day might be completely made by that random, small compliment that took you a second to say.

We need to change the way we perceive things, and the way we treat one another. We need to try and be understanding and put ourselves in others' shoes. Remember that one person who smiled at you when you got soaked by a fast bus passing in the pouring rain?

Well no… because that was me, but a small smile made three years ago had made me feel so important.

It is that simple.

To get the most out of the simple things, you need to think beyond yourself and reach out to others. That’s my piece of advice for the day.

Thanks for taking time to read through my thoughts, and try and go out today and do something nice for someone.