Each and every one of us is battling something, be it anxiety, depression, that job you hate, financial hardship, substance abuse, you name it. No one is without struggle, but society has conditioned us to work tirelessly to maintain a flawless public persona; all the while, we're truly dying on the inside. Putting on a daily show for our peers and pretending to have it all together at the cost of our own inner peace. And for what? To appear “fine” in the eyes of people who are just as lost and burdened as we are? This makes no sense at all and needs to come to an end.

We tend to think we own all the problems in the World and no one could possibly understand what we’re going through. Beyond this, we commonly think no one truly cares. None of this is factual, instead it’s a series of lies we tell ourselves that ultimately holds us hostage and keeps us from seeking and attaining the support we need.

How comforting would it be to know that someone else understands? How helpful could someone be to you if they knew just what you were dealing with? How useful could you be to someone else trying to cope with similar issues? How freeing would it be to know that you no longer have to hide your pain?

The purpose of this movement is to normalize struggle. To let people know it’s absolutely ok to not be ok all the time. By wearing such bold statements across your chest, you’re letting those around you know that you’re human and dealing with life’s ups and downs. You’re also letting them know that they don’t have to pretend for you because you get it. The hope is that this movement inspires conversation as well as action and leads to an increase in society’s empathy levels.

We could all benefit from support in one way, shape or form and we can all be a form of support for someone else as well. Let’s break the cycle and put an end to the faking. We’re only hurting ourselves.