Why do we always respond to someone asking us how we are doing by saying, “I’m fine”?

No one is okay or put together all of the time. Everyone has their own struggles, so why do we lie to each other? Why are we so afraid of admitting that we are not OK? It’s OK not to be OK. We do not have to have it all together all of the time; that is impossible. Don’t be afraid of answering the question of how you are doing honestly.

I used to always say that I was fine.

I was lying, but what if I had answered honestly? I was afraid of my own struggles. I was afraid of being judged for my struggles. I was afraid my struggles would scare people away, so I kept it all in instead. From this experience, I can tell you that you should NEVER keep it all bottled up.

Compare it to a soda bottle that you have shaken up. The soda is all of your struggles you already have stuck inside of you. Shaking the bottle represents unexpected upsets in your life. When you open up the bottle, the soda foams up and spills out, releasing the pressure. The same happens when you finally decide to let go of what you have kept inside; all of your struggles, insecurities, etc.

It feels so good to let things go.

A weight is lifted off of your shoulders. Yes, some people will be scared off by what you are dealing with, and some will judge you. Here’s the thing-It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks about you. If being honest with someone takes them away from you, they weren’t meant to stay.

The only thing that matters is that you are able to release what is holding you down. You deserve to be able to say how you feel. The next time someone asks you how you’re doing, try answering honestly because it’s OK to not be OK.