Here’s the truth: You can be a really good friend, and still not really be liked. You can hold someone dear and still not be valued. You can say all the right things, and still have someone twist your words, brush off your words, or worse—use your words against you. You can give it your absolute best, and still have it not work out. You can be straight-up sunshine in the flesh, and still walk into a shit storm . You can play your heart out, and still lose the game. You can place the highest bid, and still walk away empty-handed. You can be pure as humanly possible, and still be painted as the bad guy. After years of work, these are some things I’ve learned: You can’t control other people. Not even in the slightest, and it is a complete waste to ever assume you can. It will make you mad as hell , and exhausted, and chasing something you don’t have a chance to catch, so switch gears and control you. Control your mouth. Control how you treat people. Control your attitude. Guard your heart, and keep it genuine. Keep showing up, and let that be enough.. Other people aren’t you. They don’t think like you, or feel like you. Their experiences belong to them alone. They approach situations differently, and their outlook is nothing like yours. Don’t expect them to handle things exactly like you do. They aren’t you. They’re them. Do your best to love them for it. Some people are never going to like you, and there isn’t necessarily and a rhyme or reason. Your life will improve significantly as soon as you learn this and trust me its not the end of the world... Sometimes you’re actually the bad guy. Sometimes you’re the one acting foolish. Sometimes you’re the one with the toxic trait or two. Check your own heart. Clean out the junk, and grow from it. Apologize, and now that you’ve learned—take that wisdom, do better next time, stay humble, and give others an awful lot of grace along the way. There is a purpose to it all. There is beauty everywhere. That failed friendship will teach you how to do the next one better. That heartache will remind you to be gentle with other people. That loneliness will help you appreciate connection when you do find it—and you will find it, probably when your least looking but it's out there somewhere... Not every season lasts forever, but every season does produce something precious eventually, even if it’s just a fresh perspective. So sleep well, . Life is a long series of letting some things go and holding others close—a catch and release sort of cycle. Let go of needing approval. Let go of bitterness, and resentment, and any of that junk. Let go of insecurity. Let go of guilt. It will keep you shackled like nothing else. Hold close to your family and the people in your life who have stuck around. Hold close to your morals and your integrity. Hold close to your hopes and dreams because really nothing you set your mind to is impossible..Believe in tomorrow. Hold closest to those you love. At the end of the day, it’s all that really matters, and as long as you have that— then I say you have more than enough.