People are mean. The world is cruel. People are going to push you to the dirt and spit on you. Those are pretty harsh words, I know, but they're honest.

There are selfish people who don't care about you and won't care about you, not unless you are doing something for them. The mentality should be, "I help you, you help me," not "I help you, I help you."

People will use you, abuse you and confuse you.

That's right. They'll confuse you. They'll make you feel like you've done everything wrong when it's the furthest thing from the truth.

Sometimes, people pretend that you're the bad guy so that they don't feel guilty about the things they did to you.

Eventually, the people who have pushed you to the dirt and spit on you will realize that they've done something wrong. Unfortunately, people aren't always willing to accept that they can be the bad guys, too.

When you put a seed in the dirt and water it, it will grow. It can be the same for people who have been pushed to the dirt and spit on.

It may seem like there's no way you can get up and dust yourself off. You may look at the situation and believe it has stunted your growth as a person. You can grow from the circumstances, but only if you choose to.

It's tempting to pull the person that pushed you down to the dirt so that you're on the same ground, but doing this doesn't create an equal ground.

"The minute you think you have the right to belittle others because you think you're better than them is the same minute you've proven you're worse." – Joanne Crisner Alcayaga

People are quick to point out what is wrong with a situation, but they're slow to point out what's right. It's easier to call someone out when they've done something wrong than to compliment them for doing something right.

Grow from the situation and help others grow alongside you.

Be an example. Show kindness to unkind people, forgive those that seem unforgivable and reflect on who you are instead of who hurt you. Don't show fake kindness or forgiveness. Show your genuine self.

It'll test your character when you treat someone you don't have to be nice to with respect.

Will you wither or bloom? People won't remember how pretty or talented you are. You can be the most beautiful rose with the sweetest fragrance, but that doesn't matter if your thorns always stab someone.

People remember how you make them feel.

Don't let yourself grow into a flower that looks beautiful but smells awful or is covered in thorns. I'm not saying you must be a beautiful rose — even dandelions can be beautiful.

When a child brings a bouquet of "pretty" dandelion flowers to you, you're not going to think of them as obnoxious weeds. You probably won't see the same beauty that the child sees, but you'll see something even more exquisite. You'll see the happiness in that moment when the child wants to share something beautiful with you.

Go ahead and push me to the dirt and spit on me, then watch me grow. Watch me grow from the situation, and hopefully, you'll be inspired to grow alongside me.