Advice we give to others

They say the advice you give to others is really the advice you need to hear yourself. So today, my advice for my friends and colleagues is as follows: listen more than you talk. Try to think of others, think of what they are going through, think of what they have been through, think of how much farther they still have to go to get wherever they're going, before you pass judgment. And then, don't pass judgment. Don't put yourself above others, we are, all of us, just doing the best we can for where we are now. And we may not be where we ultimately want to be, but we are where we are and all we can do is keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Keep trying. Keep your head down and your eyes on your own paper and mind your own business. Because other people have other business and other people have other problems and we can't know or understand or appreciate any of that until we see what they see and walk in their shoes. None of us are perfect, we are all just trying. And the path may seem dark now, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You may feel lost or hopeless but you are never alone. Because there are those who love you both because of and in spite of your faults, and they will always take you by the hand. You may feel a great weight on your shoulders but you do not need to carry it alone. You just need to ask for help, and you just need to ask for hope, and you just need to know that your requests will be answered.

Remember that who you are today is because of all your past decisions; and whether you thought they were right or wrong, they got you to where you are now. So decide to make a different decision in the future, or decide that right here is exactly where you want to be, but you have the choice to make and you have the power to take action. You are strong. You are stronger than you think. You are more resilient than you believe and you will make it through. All of this. Any of this. You will find yourself on the other side one day, sooner than you may think, and in the end, you will know that this was all for a reason. Even if you can't see it today.

This is the life.
-a

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