Time and time again, I hear people minimizing their problems based on the comparison to other issues happening globally. So, I decided it is time to state an important fact of life.

Your problems matter.

Big or small, whatever happens to you has to be dealt with by you -- in your life. It does not matter if friends go through more troubling times, or if war and hate have ruined those around you.

You matter. Your problems matter.

I find a lot of people feeling the need to minimize their problems based off of those around them or the same issues on a global scale. The fact is, whatever happens to you -- whatever is your biggest problem, biggest anxiety, greatest pain -- that is real.

Pain manifests itself inside of your body. It shakes your bones and it begs to be felt. Feel it. Do not compare or contrast this pain to anyone else's. There is no problem that is too small. There is no problem in your life that is insignificant compared to anyone else's.

The worst thing that happens to you is the worst thing that happened to you. Own it. Feel it in your bones, let it hurt. Let the pain of disappointment and devastation flow through your pores until you have released it from your being. Only then can you grow. And you will grow -- no matter the amount of pain, no matter the significance of it that other people wish to define it as.

You deserve to label your pain as pain,

Life is hard -- for different people, in different ways. Let it be. I cannot stress enough how important it is to let your pain be your own -- to own it with all you have. When we get so low -- no matter what is making us that way -- the pain is heavy. It weighs a lot, and it embeds itself inside of you. Your friends, family, acquaintances -- maybe their situations sound more difficult, maybe they sound easier, either way -- the point is the same.

If it matters to you, it matters. Do not minimize your pain. Do not feel like you are unworthy to feel what you feel. You must feel it. As once was greatly said, feel the fear and do it anyway.

Feel your pain. Don't ever let anyone minimize its effect on you. Don't ever minimize anyone else's pain because of what you've been through.