If Only You Could See The Pain Behind Most Smiles

So this is it, people just take one look at your perfect makeup or perfectly groomed beards, your composure, your bad ass dress sense, your beautiful smile and unbeatable confidence and just assume you have it all figured out. They feel that's an assessment of your passion, your goals, your hustle, your struggles and more importantly your state of mind. Though unorthodox, this is actually one of the leading causes of depression; people not being taken seriously when they try to reach out. It's like they are not allowed to have issues and when they do, no one is willing to consider it serious. Somehow that active, vibrant person, who knows how to turn up, laughs without a care in the world, and knows how to be there for everyone else, is left to deal with a world of hurt and emotional turmoil all ALONE.

Never trivialize anybody's issue. You never know how deep those matters that seem small to you, run in their mind. If you pay enough attention, you just might be able to get them off that perilous edge. Sometimes the strong person is just a cover up for the mind battle they are losing.

Dig deeper than bland hi's, say 'how are you?' and mean it. Listen to someone today, be there for someone, you just might make the difference.