Today, it is easier than ever to think that everyone else's life is perfect, that everyone is always having the best time. However, it is safe to say that is no one's reality. Every person in this world has days where nothing goes right. And as terrible as they may be those bad days are actually an important part of life and growing up.
Living in a world where we can document our lives and publish them for all to see has its pros, but it also has its cons.
This ability to share every fun thing we do — every experience we have — is new and exciting. But, we are still figuring out how to take it all in. Snapchat and Instagram are like windows into people's lives. The thing with these windows though is we only get a look at what the person on the other side wants us to see. This one-sided outlook has rooted the idea that bad days and feelings don't exist. Reinforcing that notion are tweets, and VSCO graphics saying "Life's short. Live every moment to the fullest!" or "Every minute being sad is 60 seconds of wasted happiness." While it is easy to latch on to those notions, accepting them is selling yourself short.
Living life to the fullest is accepting those bad days.
It's letting yourself cry, and exploring those emotions that are driving you insane. We are all intertwined in this idea that life should just be perfect, and when it's not then something is wrong. When actually, it may very well mean things are going right. Whatever obstacle you are facing, dealing with it helps shapes you into who you are and who you are going to be.
Our lives are a continuously growing story. With a new page or chapter being added every day. We hope every story has a happy ending. But in order to appreciate that happiness, you need to experience the bad. Because with every smile, every laugh shared with your best friends, every time you have one of those moments looking around to realize wow how in love you are with life at that moment. Those moments wouldn't be as sweet without some sour every now and then. I'm not saying those times don't suck, trust me I know they do. But that's the yin and yang of life. For every good, there is a bad — so make the good worth it. That is what it means to live life to the fullest and take advantage of every moment.
It is accepting the entirety of life.
Find that way to cope with what is going on, find that friend that no matter how many times you have gotten upset about the same thing will still listen. Let yourself feel, let yourself grow. Share those fun moments to your Snapchat, but don't feel as though your more negative emotions are invalid. Give yourself a chance to grow. Being sad, being mad, it is all apart of healing, and moving on in life. Take the time to know not being OK is OK.
