***Uplifting*** *5m 15s video* If you find yourself strugg..

***Uplifting*** *5m 15s video* If you find yourself struggling recently, I want to remind you to look up. Whenever you feel overwhelmed, step aside, stand up, roll your shoulders back, take a deep breath, and look out the nearest window. Wonder, gaze, think, admire, and just let yourself feel. It doesn't matter that you’re unsure what tomorrow will look like – what matters is how you feel right now. And if what you feel is that you need to stay in bed today, then the world should allow you to do just that, and ask of you nothing more. You are not alone in the journey of mental health. We are millions of people, with real feelings and real struggles. Even bad things happen to the best of us. Yet, despite how difficult the world may be, we're still each our own harshest critics, our most scathing judges, and we sometimes don't let ourselves feel good. Just know that while your feelings are important and valid, they don't have to control you. You have the power to change those feelings. Although it's easier said than done, asking for help should be a celebration, not a failure or weakness, and a celebration should never be quiet. I have to admit, even though I post little messages like this, I really don’t know much in the larger scheme of things. But during my short time here, I've learned a few things, and one of those is that people make up this world. Not gender, race, politics, money, or whatever, but people, friends and family, who need each other to love one another. Not the superficial kind of love, but the kind where you ring someone just to hear their voice at two in the morning. That kind of vulnerable love, where you let someone in even though you believed you never could, and open yourself up in ways you swore you never would. So please, allow me, whether you consider me a friend or a stranger, to encourage you to find that love, allow yourself to embrace it, and hold on tight. I'm saying this because I know smiling all the time is exhausting. It’s okay to not be okay. From me to you, I'm saying this because it’s time to be human, to be vulnerable, to cry together, to laugh together, and to find the good in every day, even the bad ones. Not all days may be good, but I promise, if you look hard enough, there's always good in every day. To anyone struggling right now, please hold on to hope. It’s okay to feel and tell others how you’re feeling. We notice, we care, we listen. If you're feeling disheartened today, all you need to do is breathe. You are enough. More than enough, even if it's hard for you to see what others do. And you deserve to feel fireworks, even if now, the best you can do is immerse yourself in whatever lights the tiniest flame. Don't be afraid to give yourself second chances. What we'd do for a friend is not always something we make time to do for ourselves. So today, treat yourself like you would treat a friend. I believe in you. Let's do this together, one day at a time. 💗