Hang In There – Life Is So Much More Beautiful With You In It

Dear anyone who needs it – this is a letter that I am writing for you about things that I feel you need to know.

For starters, stop looking at yourself in the mirror only to see the negative things you think exist. You are beautiful the way you are, no one is perfect and the best person you can be is yourself. Beauty, is what is inside yourself. I wish I knew that before I tried to change who I was.

Another thing, friendships that seem to be toxic are toxic. I know it is hard to let go, but sometimes one has to let go of the things that are causing you to feel sad, lonely, depressed, and angry or even whatever, other bad feeling you may get. You will find good people who want to grow with you. Those are the friends that are worth keeping, the ones that make you feel happy and the ones who are there when you need them.

School is tough, and that is okay. School is an environment for you to learn not only school subjects but also to learn about yourself. It WILL be okay as long as you try your best, even if you fail, at least you tried in the first place.

Treat whoever you consider your family well, they will be there for you in ways that a friend cannot. Your family will love you unconditionally and will be there if you need a shoulder to cry on. Do not be afraid to open up about what is bothering you. It is never good to keep your problems to yourself, it only causes them to build up until you cannot take it anymore. Remember, it is okay to not be okay. If you feel like you want to cry, yell, scream, curl up into a tiny ball and disappear, that is okay. Make sure you tell someone you trust when you are feeling that way though. Sometimes you need a helping hand and that is not a form a weakness. Even when you feel like falling down, that is when you get back up and try again. Try with all your might.

Be kind to yourself, treat your body well. It is the only body you have so you want to make sure that you are treating it properly. Make sure to sleep well, believe me, and sleep is the best cure for a person and if you are not getting enough it leaves no time for yourself to recharge. Make sure to eat properly, even if you feel that you do not want to eat: make sure you eat even a little. Drink LOTS of water! Water is a natural cleanser and make sure you drink plenty in order to stay hydrated.

When it comes to mental illnesses, one in five of all people carry a mental illness. It is very possible that someone you care about has one. I know it is hard to see someone you love fight within themselves against their illness but, be there for them. Do not let them fight on their own. You need to help them back up on their bad days and celebrate with them on their good days. Give all your love to them, be their support because they need it more than ever. If you get diagnosed with having a mental illness yourself, do not be afraid. I know you are scared, I know you may feel helpless but, believe me when I say it is okay. Reach out for help, because it is never okay to fight alone. Believe me, I tried to fight on my own, I STILL try to fight on my own. I know that it is not something one can handle by themselves. You must remember though, you are NOT your illness. Your illness does not control you.

If you fall in love, it might feel scary, you may feel nervous but, if it is someone who treats the same way you would want to be treated then, let yourself fall in love. Love is as sweet as it is bitter, so there will be rocky times but if you truly love them and they love you in return, you fight for your love. Love can be frightening, I know. It is scary to let someone behind the walls you may have built up, but if you genuinely care for one another, you will get used to them being there. If you don’t fall in love, that is okay too. Always though, you must remember, love yourself.

It is okay to not know what you want out of life, it is okay to not know what sort of career you want to follow. You have plenty of time to figure that out because that is the beauty of being alive. Life will give you many things, there will be sad times when life will take things from you as well. This is all part of living. Living is the greatest adventure of all because there is so much the world has to offer you. As humans, we breathe, we experience emotions, we go through hard times, we overcome things and we show that we are not afraid. This is life.

Now that this letter is coming to a close I will write some things that you can carry with you wherever you may go. Atticus once wrote “She conquered her demons and wore her scars like wings.” This applies to anyone, do not be afraid of your demons, you must fight. Fight them until they do not bother you. If you get scars from those demons, physical or emotional you wear them proudly as a sign that you survived. You survived when they were trying to bring you down. You lived.

Life is so beautiful and so full of wonderful things, that the world would not be the same without you in it. To those who needed to hear it today: I love you and you are worth. I know you will get through this, I know that you will keep fighting. Be kind, love unconditionally, remember you are unique and that no one can ever replace who you are.

Love,

The one who is still fighting.