Take a minute and think about the construction of a house. For the house to stand, it needs a frame. For the frame to continue to stand it needs a foundation that could also be called the support. It’s this support that keeps the house in one piece in order to inhabit its occupants. So, the support is very important to the survival of the house

The same can be said about life if you think about. We, as people, thrive on the support from others, whether it is just a few words of encouragement or giving you a place to stay. Life is full of decisions that can be hard to make and it’s the support we receive from others that help us make our decision regardless of it being right or wrong. Support is kind of like a framework for life as it exists to help you build up from where you are.

Now, I know support comes in many shapes and sizes, but whether it is financial support or emotional support, they both give you somewhere to start.

Personally, I depend on the support I receive from my friends and family to remain successful. The support I receive is more on the emotional level, but that is what drives to excel at what I do and to even try new things. For example, me writing for Odyssey. Never would I have considered actually joining, but after a nice catch-up session with my best friends at the end of this past summer, they were able to convince me to go for it. They knew I did a little writing on the side and with their words of encouragement it prompted me to sign up and get out of my comfort zone. With each week that goes by, and as they read my writings, they continue to give me their support from miles away. That support is what motivates me to keep doing this.

Support from another person can also be what brings you out of a dark hole. If you are a person who lives with depression, anxiety, or anything of the like it can be the kind words of your mom, sister, brother, best friend, or even a complete stranger that helps push you to the next day.

I know I speak personally a lot on here, but I do it in hopes that it will help convince you of what I’m saying. Depression and anxiety are two diseases I live with and I have had my good and bad days with them both. Anxiety usually comes from school and can make me feel like I’m drowning, but a simple conversation with my best friends who know my poor study habits, telling me that I am smart and have the capabilities to get through this assignment or the next big test usually helps. It helps bring my head around to a really sensible thought, instead of thinking something like "if I fail this test I won’t excel in my career". Their support, to me, is the difference between drowning and excelling.

When it comes to needing financial support or even somewhere to live, don’t be ashamed. The people who offer you this support are giving you a foundation on which to build. They want to give you the support you need. That $100 loan your mom gave you? She did it so you could pay your electric bill and start fresh next month. The offer to live in your dad’s house for 6 months? He did that so you could save up to get your own house. There is nothing to be ashamed of if you need a little support.

So just like a house needs support for its foundation to continue to stand, you need support as a foundation to excel and do great things. This support will become your framework in which you can only build.