Hi.

Trust me, even though you feel lonely, you're not alone. Everyone has felt like they didn't fit in at some point. It's either with the clothes you wear or the shows you watch or the books you read or something. Anything.

You are going to be different from the people around you. And that's good. You don't want to be the same as all of your friends and peers; then you wouldn't stand out! If everyone was the same, then how would we tell each other apart and find "our people?"

But I'm not going to write this article and act like it's fun to always be different and the odd one out. I know that it can suck sometimes; I've felt it! It's lonely to be different, and I get that. But you have to put yourself out there.

And while I am aware that "putting yourself out there" doesn't always seem like the most fun task, it will pay off in the end. You will never remember the nights that you went to bed on time and did all your homework. The nights that you'll remember are nights that you had crazy adventures and made new friends and got two hours of sleep.

So with that being said, hiding alone in your room isn't going to get you any new friends or help you find someone similar to you. So go to that party, say hi to your friend from English class and don't forget to occasionally say yes to something that you would normally say no to.

And if you're feeling lonely because you're in a new place or you don't know anyone around you, sometimes you have to be the one to go up to someone and introduce yourself. If you wallow in your loneliness, then you will only be more lonely. If you throw a pity party for yourself, you won't get anywhere. Most times, the only way to make friends is to be a friend.

A quote from Norman Cousins, "The eternal quest of the individual human being is to shatter his loneliness," perfectly sums up this article. Almost everything that humans do stems from the avoidance of loneliness. And it is hard to do those things sometimes, but in the end, it will always pay off. Having someone is ultimately better than having no one.