Society has taught us that everything should be perfect 24/7. I'm not sure when the false idea of having it all together suddenly became the ideal standard for us all. But, I do know that it's ok to not be ok and that not having your life together in this very moment, doesn't mean you're a failure.

It doesn't matter if you're a parent, a husband or wife, a student, or even a strong, independent individual who claims to have it all together. No matter what role you play or what stage of life you're in at this very moment; it's ok if you're struggling. I'm a firm believer that struggles exist to make us appreciate the good times even more. I also believe that struggles are lessons that help mold us into the people we're meant to be. It's time we embrace the stress, obstacles, and hardships life throws at us for what they truly are: normal.

It's normal to go through periods of time where we aren't ok. We aren't robots, we have emotions and feelings because we're human. It's in our nature to feel the things we do. And as with most things in life, we can't just pick and choose which emotions we want to feel or when we want to feel them.

The only thing we have control over is how we react to our emotions and whether we let our emotions control us or not. I'm not saying that it's ok to have a pity party for an extendedperiod of time. All I'm saying is that we all go through things and no one lives a completely perfect life. That may be hard to believe since all we see on social media is the happy, positive, and edited versions of other's lives. But, it's important to remember that there are things that go on behind our screens and behind the spotlight, in every person's life. There are hardships that people go through that never get shared with anyone, especially not on social media. Not because they're secretive people, but because they're afraid people might see their life for what it really is: less than perfect.

I know I'm guilty of it. In fact, most of us are. It's easier to keep the ugly, negative stuff hidden. But I think it's important to remember that everything we see online and everything we think we know about other people's lives, isn't the full picture. We only see what others want us to see, and we only post and share what we want others to see of us.

No one is to blame. Our culture has slowly taught us this behavior over time. But for anyone who feels alone in their struggles, I want to remind you that you're not alone and that most importantly, it's ok to not be ok. It's ok if you're going through a tough time right now with school, work, your family, your friends, or even all the above. If you're stressed out about the future and don't know how in the world things will work out or if things will get better, trust me when I tell you that they will.

We all experience bumps in the road from time to time. And even though it's ok to not be ok, I must also add that it's ok to seek help if the feeling of not being ok is becoming too heavy or going on for an extended amount of time. Never be afraid or ashamed of doing anything to better yourself mentally or emotionally, especially if that means seeking professional help.

Life can be hard. Let's not make it any harder than it mustbe by pretending we have it all together. And remember that the things we see on social media are just a small piece of the bigger picture. It's ok to not be ok, so keep it real and embrace the struggle.