1. That pain is an abstract concept:

Here's the truth: Everybody's hurting. Whether it's sadness, or grief, or anxiety, everyone has been hurt or is hurting.

And thus, pain is an abstract concept. It affects different people differently.

Some are crippled by it, while to others it is an old friend.

But sometime or the other, everyone has been knocked down, it's how they got up that makes them who they are today.

And I want you to remember, that every time  you're knocked down, it's a new chance to get up, and prove how strong you are.

2. That it's okay to not be okay:

Whenever something was bothering me or I was facing a dilemma, I would bury it and pretend like everything was okay, when in fact, it was not.

But as experience shows, when I would pour myself out in front of my friends or family, they would embrace me and tell that it was completely normal to not be 'fine' all the time, and that eventually, things would work themselves out.

And that's what you must remember:

IT'S OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY.

3. That you are stronger than you believe:

When I would battle tides of self-loathing and shame, I would constantly put myself down and give up. But when I got through whatever was holding me down, I would look back and think, ' I did not think that I had it in me.'

But guess what?

Regardless of whatever you're going through, you have the strength to survive it.