In 1601, Shakespeare wrote the play Hamlet, where the famous phrase, "to be or not to be", was featured. That was around 400 years ago. Today however, many ask a new question, "to be different or to be the same?"

Okay I'm going to ask a question now. What makes a person, a person? Is it their skin or hair color? Religious beliefs, nationality or political views? Who they hang out with, who they love? Or is it their fears and insecurities? Maybe it's a combination of all of these--or maybe not. But the sad part is that many people today,are losing what makes them--them. In an effort to fit in, they lose themselves in the process.

Now, I don't know anything about you, but I do know that life is, in one word, hard. Sure it has its happy moments, but too often, one can feel suffocated under all the chaos. Everyday, everyone of us has felt the need to put our best face forward for other people, and most of us do. But why? To avoid being asked questions, to be professional, to conform with the society ideal that life is perfect and yours should be to. And it's not getting any better or easier. Hearing about childhood suicide, presidential racism, bombings, WWIII speculations and ISIS attacks, you feel that smile slipping and that mentality of "everything is fine" morphing into something else entirely. It changes into the realization that cliques at school or work contributes to depression or that magazines depicting unrealistic beauty standards causes disorders like anorexia or bulimia in women and men. It changes into a fear or expressing opinions due to political correctness or being bullied for what they like. It changes into a monster that's filled with all the problems of the society and the world we live in and accept.

So you ask..."what can we do?" You can start by being yourself. Stop comparing your behind the scenes with other people's highlight reel. Stop excluding people because of their appearance. Start giving people chances, second chances, third chances. Start saying, "Hi," to your neighbors and ask how their day was and be interested. Put your phone down after you take a picture of that awesome looking meal for Instagram, and talk with the people around you. Look at the cup half full instead of half empty. Smile, laugh and live your life because one day your memories will flash before your eyes, and you don't want to see yourself in that tiny cubicle or on that phone for the majority of it. Cherish your loved and unloved ones cause they won't be there forever. And if you're at the bottom now, have hope cause you'll soon get up and fly.

But again, life is a roller coaster with it's ups and downs. And, I'm here to say it's okay to feel sad or angry. It's okay to cry and stress eat that tub of ice cream. Having emotions is okay and natural not just for women, but also for men. It's not feminine or less masculine to be sensitive. If that's who you are, embrace it.

There are still, horrible and terrible things in this world and if you accept that with the mentality that even though life isn't perfect, you'll try your hardest to make the best of it, then my mission is accomplished.