The real treasure in life isn't avoiding problems, it’s collecting experiences. Experience is what sharpens our minds, strengthens our backbones and teaches us to spot trouble from a mile away (and perhaps even dodge it next time. Maybe).

We start seeing the world differently. Not better or worse, just truer.

And when we take full responsibility for ourselves (yes, even for the embarrassing parts), that's when we really start moving forward. That's when we can build, dream and actually make a future – starting with fixing the mess inside our own heads.

The world never stands still. It spins, it tumbles, it throws curveballs – and so do we. We trip, we fall, we get up, we grumble, we laugh at ourselves. Every once in a while, we pull off something amazing.
 

And somewhere along the way, something else happens – we start understanding people better. Their fears, their flaws, their stubborn hopes. With this understanding comes something even crazier – genuine love for them, in all their messy, beautiful humanity.

That's the new mission for me now – to use everything I've learned (and all the bruises I've collected) to help others, even if sometimes the best help is just to say, "Hey, me too."

Falling, learning, laughing, repeat. Helping others avoid a few breaks along the way.