Dear extremely stressed out person,

First, I want you to breathe. I want you to take at least 20 deep breaths—in and out, in and out. Next, I want you to walk outside, and take a little stroll, perhaps. Appreciate what you see outside: the birds chirping in the oak tree, the kids jumping rope, the young couple holding hands on the street with gleaming eyes. These are life's beautiful moments. Cherish them, love them, capitalize on them.

You may say, "So what? I still feel stressed, I still feel upset." Well, use these happy moments as encouragement for what is to come next. Stress DOES NOT last forever. You will climb this mountain, you will tackle this storm, you will break down the walls that plague you today. To appreciate the happy moments you see even more, you must go through and endure stress in order to understand what true happiness means. Stress motivates you, it encourages you and it pressures you in a good way.

Also, remember that you are never alone. Everyone is stressed out at one point or another for a number of different things. I was always told that stress is like a storm: difficult, taxing and draining, but periodic and temporary. After weathering and battling this storm, you come out refreshed, clean and exhilarated. The best possible way to motivate anyone is after the conclusion of stress. If you can take on the stress you just endured, you can take on anything.

Remember that you are a warrior, a trooper, and will persevere through all of these challenges. Just know, stress is nature's way of testing you, essentially because it believes in you to tackle through these problems and come out stronger than ever.

And yes, you may feel that stress plagues you more than others, but remember, even though you may not see stress in other people and assume that they are care and stress-free. Think again. Think how people perceive you. Are you good at putting on a disguise? A facade of happiness? Perhaps they are thinking the exact same thing you are that the same moment: "That person looks so happy and carefree. If only they knew how stressed out I was feeling right now."

You see? Everyone feels the stress, the pain, the difficulties that life throws on everyone. Just know this: you will get through it, you will conquer it, you will excel, and you will prevail and come out stronger than ever as a determined, challenged, and powerful. You CAN and WILL get through it.

Your friend, relative, peer, confidante,
Luke