If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there’s always more under the surface. Every person you pass by, every coworker you talk to, every friend you scroll past on social media, they’re all carrying something you can’t see.

We all are.

Some days, I’ve noticed that the weight feels light and manageable. Other days, it feels like it could crush you. And what makes it even harder is that on the outside, so many people seem like they have it all together. The smiles. The accomplishments. The “everything’s fine” responses. But behind those smiles, there are struggles most will never know.

I deal with that feeling daily. The one that whispers,
“Are you even making a difference?”
The one that sits in your chest when you’re exhausted, overwhelmed, and wondering if you’re enough.

Here’s the truth: it’s okay to feel that way. It’s normal to be stressed. It’s human to feel overwhelmed. You don’t have to pretend everything’s perfect.

If today you’re feeling all the emotions…good, bad, or somewhere in between…know that what you’re feeling is valid. You’re not broken. You’re not weak. You’re just human.

We aren’t meant to live in the dark places, but we are meant to work through them. To learn. To grow. To let them remind us of our strength.

So today, give yourself grace.

Breathe deep.

Keep pushing forward.

Even if all you do is take one small step, that’s still movement.
That’s still progress.

Because beneath the surface, there’s resilience.
There’s courage.
There’s hope.

There is always purpose in the struggle.