Hey you,

I hope you remember that whatever happened today doesn’t have to spill into tomorrow.

I hope you remember that things aren’t always going to be easy, but that doesn’t mean you’re never going to be okay.

I hope you remember that you’re going to stumble and fall, you’re going to get frustrated, you’re going to feel tired and broken and alone, but life is a series of crazy events, ever-changing and ever-growing, just as you are. And you don’t always have to take everything so seriously.

People aren’t going to treat you right. But that’s not a marker of who you are. People are going to walk away from you. But that doesn’t mean you are worth any less. Things are going to happen that you don’t plan for, that push you to the limit and exhaust you to your core.

But there is also so much beauty, so much happiness, so many new beginnings behind doors waiting to be opened.

And you don’t always have to be so pressured, so pained, so pushed down by the world. You can choose to let things go, to forgive, to move on. You can choose to slow down, to breathe, to focus your attention on what is good rather than bad.

You can choose to laugh, to be silly, to say f*ck it to things and people who make a mess of your heart. You can choose to celebrate the little moments, to laugh off the things you can’t control. You can remind yourself that you’re doing just fine, and even in your lowest moments, you will still rise again.

At the end of the day, this life is so short. And it was never promised to be easy.

But that doesn’t mean you have to give up.

Listen to the people who are trying to give you advice. Let in the men and women who prove they’re worthy of your heart. Let go of those who aren’t, and find peace with your broken past. Love with a fierceness and stop worrying whether you’re giving your heart to the wrong person. Smile, simply because there is always something to be happy about, even when you’re tired or it feels like the world is crashing in on you.

Laugh. Because you don’t always have to have everything figured out. Because it’s okay to be directionless or lost. Because sometimes that’s the only way to get through the pain. Because laughter heals.

And stop taking life so seriously. You will be okay. You will find your footing again. You are too young, and the future is too beautiful and open to spend your days only focusing on what you don’t’ have, or have lost, or have not yet gained.

No, things won’t always be easy. But this life is still so good.
So be silly, be wild, be open, be free. Just be.