I have always been a person who loves fiercely. I love my family that way, of course, but I love my friends just as much. Being able to connect with others is such a beautiful thing to me. The bonds I have with the people I love are very important.

That being said, I am also a person who overthinks. I always catch myself worrying needlessly about my own behavior or the behavior of others.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"Am I boring?"

"Am I not good enough?"

Logically, I know that it's pointless to do this. Even worse, far too often I make the wrong conclusions. I am fully aware that I'm reaching for a problem and I know that I am in fact good enough and that my friends love me and that more likely than not, everything is OK. But that doesn't stop the wondering. I find myself desperate for some kind of sign that everything is OK. To be honest, I function better when I have reassurance and tend to fall apart if I feel like I don't. This is something I've been trying to work on.

It's taken me a long time to realize that far too often I am being selfish when I worry so often. When I have these feelings, I tell myself that they aren't real and that I'm fine. But then the feelings linger, and I don't reach out to whomever I'm fretting over and use communication to solve the problem. Instead, the wound festers and occasionally things end up a million times worse. It's unfair of me to assume that the actions of others is entirely about me or their feelings about me without reaching out first.

I tend to forget that my friends and family are human; they make mistakes, too.

I shouldn't doubt the people I love when they haven't really given me a reason to. Doing so does no one any good. Sometimes people go through bad times and they don't know how to express it. Sometimes someone doesn't realize that they've been distant, or that acting a certain way can hurt someone else unintentionally. What I've learned is that addressing problems before they become actual issues is the best way to solve things. Sometimes (oftentimes, for me) all it takes is a little vulnerability and bam! those nasty feelings of doubt and uncertainty will disappear.

I know that I'm not the only one who does this — I'm pretty sure that everyone does in a way. It's natural, but it's also easily corrected. The next time you're feeling neglected or left out, don't automatically assume the worst and reach out instead. It's unfair to forget that people are people and they have their own issues.

We all make mistakes. Don't give up on someone before you take the time to remember that.