"You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anyone." -Maya Angelou

Life is hard. There is no sugar-coating the basic fact when we all know it is true. But it's okay. It is okay because every person around you knows that not every day is perfect. There will be days or weeks or months when it feels like nothing is going right and nothing ever will. You have to realize that this too is a phase.

Think of a time where you felt as though that time of your life would never pass, as though you were going to feel that way forever. It could be the passing of a loved one, a tough break-up, or just a time when you were stuck in a rut for what seemed like no reason at all. That time has passed, and what did you learn? To appreciate each day a little more? That you actually deserve a partner who cares about you? That sometimes you just have to keep telling yourself it's going to be a good day until it finally is?

There is no point in letting yourself get bogged down; every problem has a solution. Every challenge has a lesson. I've thought of a million cliches while writing this, and I realize how accurate they are. They say that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and I am a firm believer in that. I have learned the most about myself in the times I felt the worst, in the times where I felt as though things would never get better.

A lot of the time it seems like everyone around us is living a perfect life and never has any troubles and never feels insecure or unworthy. That could not be further from the truth. Take the time to actually get to know the people around you. Listen to their hardships and their struggles and share yours with them. Your problems are not worse than theirs and vice-versa. Personal problems do not get ranked on a definitive scale. Your problems are yours. Your friend's problems are theirs. Just be supportive and offer a helping hand along the way.

We do not live perfect lives, and there is no reason that we should expect that to start happening out of the blue. It's up to us to make the most of our situations, regardless of how difficult that can seem sometimes. Sometimes all it takes is to just take a step back, think about what YOU can do to fix things, and do it.

Am I telling you anything you don't already know? Absolutely not. I just want to remind you that things get better. It is okay to talk to people. Your friends, your family, everyone cares about you. Regardless of the situation, regardless of how terrible things may seem right now, those who care about you would rather find a way to help you than lose you.