I'd like to say something.

It is 2019 and we, as a society have got to stop being so hush-hush about things. Things like money, mental health, and daily struggles as human beings for goodness sakes! Keeping things in the dark do just that-they keep them hidden as if they are things to be ashamed of.

I believe, and this is my opinion so do with it what you will, bringing topics like these to light will only bring benefits with them.

I am an oversharer. I have a hard time keeping things to myself because I believe that if I can share how I'm feeling or what I'm going through, the person I'm sharing with might be able to offer help for me or they might find that they to have/had similar feelings or gone through something similar. It does no good for me to keep things bottled up and if I open myself up to others then maybe things will get better for me faster and easier than if I kept it all to myself.

In the past I've shared and been very open about my student loans because HELLO! Everyone has them! It's impossible to get a higher education without student loans and while there are MANY different avenues, everyone experiences the same stress or will go through a similar process of gaining them, then a few years later, paying them off. There isn't any shame in having them and there also isn't any shame in speaking about them. Start the conversation and I've found, it makes me feel less alone in it all. More than that, I openly share how I'm in my early twenties fresh out of college so money is tight and I'm on a budget. When I go out with friends they notice that I choose the cheapest option or I'll tag along but won't purchase anything and that's okay! Most of the time they tell me they wish they could stick to a budget the way I do then I just spiral off into teaching them all about managing money and it's one of my favorite conversations to have so please, let's talk about it!

I've also been known to be a very open book when it comes to my mental health (or lack there of). I deal with PTSD and loads of anxiety and over the years, the best way for me to deal with them is to talk about them. I know others will never 100% understand how I'm feeling or what I'm going through but it helps again, to know you're not alone. (I also like just putting that information out there so no one is surprised when I'm frequently acting anxious.)

Lastly, I'm aware that when someone asks me how my day is going or what I'm up to, I don't just say, "I'm good," or "nothing." I I'll tell you all about how I woke up that day ready to tackle the day then I didn't realize I put my shirt on backwards, my car was frozen shut so it took me ten extra minutes to get to work, I forgot my lunch and so on-if you're willing to listen.

Starting conversations about things like this make me feel so much better and like I'm not going through this life alone. Others have made it through situations like mine and if I can learn anything from them then I want to talk to them about it.