Some days are roses and some are cacti. Problems, ups, and downs, highs, and lows are a part of life. What matters is how you deal with them. If you are given a cactus, do not pretend as if you are asked to sit on it. Sometimes, gazing at it from a distance to see the time pass, would also be one of the purposes.

We get to hear and read, "BE YOU", "BE YOURSELF", and many more thoughts and quotes around the same topic. But I always used to feel, "TILL WHEN" & "HOW MUCH"??

Finally, after thinking a lot, I concluded. Be you till the time you aren't invading someone else's privacy or disrespecting their choices and opinions. See to it that you aren't entering their zone and they don't enter yours. There has to be a limit drawn for all the relationships otherwise it just starts becoming taken for granted sort of business. Because of the limits being defined it becomes easy to understand when either of you is leaving or entering another's zone.

I know it sounds a little extra complicated, but I hope you will get what I am trying to say if you read it again. Do give it another chance!

It is important to keep yourself as a priority but is equally important to treat your loved ones like one. If you are connected to someone emotionally, virtually, or digitally, make sure you make them feel like they are being heard. In the times where everyone is discussing mental health issues like frustration, depression, loneliness, and many other issues, remember those who are in this situation will feel free to approach another human only if the previous communications have been on those lines. Only if they feel like they are valued, will they dare to share and express their feelings. If they think no one cares about what they are going through, they will be hesitant to share their struggles. Be kind, be polite, sometimes simplest gestures leave a lifelong impact on others.

People around us, who genuinely care and advise, can only show us the way, give examples to inspire, wish us well to stay motivated through the journey. But after a certain point, it's all about how disciplined we are towards achieving something. When you are passionate, when you realize it's high time, then discipline comes automatically.

So many times we keep carrying weights that we ideally should not. That's because the situation would remain the same, whether you carry that weight or not. Because those are the things that you can not control and they will happen the way they are supposed to, even if you wish or not. So, if you can't control them, then those things should also not control you, logically!

And if you are at a stage where things happen or they don't, it does not matter to you, then you have reached the utmost level of freedom!

When you grow physically or mature emotionally, it is a process. Your mind adapts to the new learnings and tries to unlearn or say forget the old one, just like a software update! Once you outgrow a situation or in time, don't try to shrink yourself to fit in among the crowd. What you have learned required a lot of effort, and the same learning might come to others a little later. Do not downgrade yourself to fit in. Always proceed ahead with your learning and be open to new ones as well.

Toxic is toxic. Whether it's an immediate family member, a close or distant relative, or a best friend. You are allowed to walk away from people who make every attempt to hurt you. You are allowed to walk away from people who have abused you. You are allowed to walk away from people who don't like you. You are allowed to set boundaries. You are allowed to choose a breaking point. You are allowed to choose to stop dealing with toxicity and drama.

Also, it is wrong to encourage others by saying, "but they are still your parents/siblings/friends..." If someone is in process of setting their boundaries for themselves, don't distract them with your advice.

Things do not always work as per your timelines; they also take their course of time to work. Stress makes you anxious as if things need to be fixed right then, if not it is the end of the world. Stress may come, but it is up to you to let it dominate you, or let it tackle you. If you manage to stay calm in stressful situations only then you can win. This thought has been inspired by cricket, but suits well in real life too!

Nobody wishes to go through traumatic situations, it's not a pleasure to be in one. But to heal yourself and come out of it, is your responsibility. If you do not take appropriate steps to heal yourself in due course of time, you may end up spoiling your health, mental balance, and peace of mind. What happens is not in our hands, but we are in charge of how we deal with it and come out of it.

Perception of things, people, and situations is an attribute that keeps evolving, learning, and changing. We learn from our experiences and mistakes, and hence our perception develops accordingly. Everybody has a different past, a different set of mistakes and so different learning too. Hence to expect that the perception of two people matches exactly is only an imaginary thing.