Where to start? How about with you. Yes, you. You're utterly fantastic--don't forget that, too many do.

Now, me. This will have to be split into two parts; It is simply too much material to fit into one.

It's usually pretty early on in life that we are paid our first real compliment, one that we believe, one that sticks with us for a while. It is also fairly early that we are made aware of the realness of mental illness and/or special needs, and how they affect real people.

Think about how many times it takes, times of success or failure, times of encouragement or negativity, times of faith or doubt, think about how long it takes to change the way you think about yourself. It's usually easier and takes less time for the self-deprecating side to sneak in and take over. Now, take that, and multiply it times ten. It takes that much longer for someone who is not in full control of their mental capabilities, or slower than the average person, or doesn't communicate in the same ways to change the way they think about themselves. And it is scary.

Now, change direction for a minute: we live in a technologically and scientifically advanced world. One in which problems can be solved and results can be had in a matter of minutes. It's what we've come to expect and actually rely on. And it applies to mental illness. It applies to special needs. It applies to self-opinion. It applies to EVERYTHING. But, surprise! Not everything gets the desired results in the desired amount of time. But, sadly, we have something called social media to help us feel better about ourselves, and prescriptions to cover up our symptoms and inadequacies.

This side of life has really made itself known to me as of late, because 1) I grew up with an older brother who has special needs, and 2) now work as a pharmacy technician. There are now two sides of me who both have very different ways of dealing with human frailty. I know what drugs will cover up what symptoms and I readily distribute them to the patients of my pharmacy after signature from a doctor. But I also know my brother.

And I want you to know you have to be patient.

Be patient with those around you who are having a rough time of it. Be patient with the anxious, the socially awkward, the depressed, the insecure, the ones who look like they have it all together. The list goes on and on and on and on, but there is a cure far better than medication, and it starts with you. It starts with you being kind to yourself, and thus, learning how to be more kind and patient with others. But there is a whole other battle to be fought with self; perils that confuse and distort, and not enough ways to combat them.