i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again, everyone has a story to tell.

… and i’ll keep saying it until everyone gets the point.

i genuinely feel like the experiences of others, no matter how big or small, can have an impact on people for the better. because of that, everyone should tell their stories. i understand that not everyone is ready to tell their stories, but i also know that society shouldn’t filter out which ones are more interesting and which aren’t.

its crazy, because for the most part we have had this “majority rules”/”only the strong survive” mentality and quite honestly, i don’t see it benefiting the world as a whole. at all. the minority are now becoming the majority and vise versa… more and more people are revealing their anxiety and depression which is something that has been swept under the rug (to put it lightly) for years.

Olivia Munn just revealed her anxiety disorder and we were just rocked with ANOTHER suicide by a young NFL wide receiver, OJ Murdock. how can we still continue to be silent on these issues? how can we allow others to keep feeling like they are alone in what they are dealing with? i bet if OJ was encouraged to be open about how he felt he would still be here today. i bet if many were just about to reach up and reach out for help they would still be here. they would still be trying.

the idea that silence means strength needs to be corrected… the belief that the majority of people aren’t dealing with emotions needs to be changed. i couldn’t be more tired of seeing others hurt themselves because they feel isolated… and i couldn’t be more tired of feeling the same way. i’m tired of feeling like i CAN’T feel certain things… tired of holding back tears… and i know that others feel that way too. i can’t imagine how much better this world would be if we focused on community and helping each other rather than believing that it is every man for themselves.

how many more people will have to suffer and, eventually, die before we start taking action? what will it take for us to genuinely care for other people?

the awesome part of it all is we can use our voices and experiences to start creating change… and the thing about using your voice is, you don’t have to shout everything from the rooftops and use a public forum if you don’t want to. you can start in your own home, in your own neighborhood, at school, at work… i guarantee it will touch someone in a way that makes them want to be open with their stories as well. it will create community and end the silence.

that is truly what this world needs. it needs change… so be it.