There are a lot of open letters circulating the Internet and sometimes people just skip right through them. Some people think they are too cliche and overdone and not very good writing. However, anyone can speak about anything they want to and I'm going use this platform as a way to speak about my thoughts that I think are important for everyone to remember.
Sometime in life, we get a little caught up in ourselves. We get a little caught up on superficial and shallow things and we don't think about the feelings of others, or what other people might be going through. I think we move too fast in life. We're going from one party to the next party and taking a thousand pictures to pick out the best one to post on Instagram. We have to make sure our Instagram gets a certain amount of likes and if we don't, it's like society has made us feel "less than". We care too much about what shirt to buy online and we care too much about the perfect Snapchat filter. What we need to do is stop and smell the roses.
Slow down. Stay in one in night rather than go out. That's why we have Netflix; for those lazy days when you want to sleep and relax in your own bed. It is good to stay in.
Take a break from social media. You don't have to get on Instagram or Snapchat everyday. Maybe instead, in your free time pull out a book, or go for a jog around campus.
Think about other people. You never know what someone is going through. You never really know or can understand another person's life situations and it's so important to think about their situations and most importantly be understanding about it. Don't cut someone down because they aren't wearing the same Vineyard Vines shirt as you, or they have less money, or that there's just something about them that you dislike. You have to think about them before you say things.
Be understanding. This goes along with the above. Not only should you be thinking about other people's situations and life but you should also be understanding. If someone has less money than you, that's okay. That doesn't make them less than you. If someone doesn't party or drink as much as you, that's okay. Just understand that that's not their values or something they like to do, don't dislike them for it.
Love each other. It is so important to love one another. You never know what someone is going through and loving someone and letting them know they have someone who cares could help them in more ways than you know.
Be kind to one another. This is a motto that Ellen DeGeneres preaches. We have to be nice to each other. We need to uplift each other and make each other better. Absolutely nothing good comes from being mean to someone. Sending someone a smile can go a long way.
Be happy. In life, so many things happen that can cause sadness and pain and anger. We forget what smiling and being happy feels like because we are weighed down by the negativity in the world. This happiness does exist and the best thing to do when the negativity takes over is to remember you have a home, friends, a family, a warm meal every night and at least one person in this world who understands.
There are so many reasons to be happy, to love, to be kind, to understand, to think, to be humble, to rest and take some time off. Life can quickly become all too much and too overwhelming. We may feel like giving up. We may feel like we are alone or no one understands. We may feel like we can't find peace or happiness but you can. You just need to remember these few things and remember that, most of all, you are breathing and therefore you are living. Enjoy it while it lasts.
