To say that the year 2018 did not go well for me would be the understatement of the century. It has given me hard time at work, relationships, and cyber world. They say what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. By that definition, I must have become The Incredible Hulk by now. Seriously. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. Nevertheless, it has also given me some precious memories and introduced me to a lot of cool people. Many true faces unveiled but not before filling me with an immense strength and faith in God.

I had even gone into a depression, and the certain people I thought would help me, unfortunately, could not. This is not to say that most of them didn’t try. Here is an important thing to remember about the people who are struggling with anxiety, stress, or depression. They seek acceptance. At least I did. I wanted someone to acknowledge my feelings and just show that they understood, even if they did not agree. It’s hard taking care of someone who is tearing up on the smallest of things. I was a complete mess. 

Help came from the most unexpected places. Even when you are losing faith, you must try and keep faith. I know it is not at all easy. I have been there. But I have also seen the way the universe works. I received words of encouragement and appreciation from those people in my contact list whom I haven’t talked to in years. A total stranger saw my post on FB and dropped a message on messenger asking if I wanted to talk about anything. Some of my Instagram followers DM’d me to praise the work that I was doing. It all really helps. 

The sad part was that one of the people whom I considered my Best friend couldn’t care less. They were so occupied in their own world that they stopped being in touch even after knowing I was in a tough place. Of course, I wasn’t a total saint. That person was hurt because I used an adjective that was quite hurtful. You know what is the sad thing in this situation: I might have said something hurtful and that person chose to walk away; while, they actually DID many hurtful things and I forgave them. That’s the thing about people. You may move mountains from someone you consider your friend, and they wouldn’t even lift their finger even if your life depended on it. 

While we are on the subject of spiteful situations, let’s talk about the time I faced cyber-bullying. I had heard a lot of stories about these creeps, who drop ‘n’ number of disgusting and awful remarks on people’s posts just because their identity is unknown. So, one person commented on one of my posts: Ugly. I was sitting there thinking what had I ever done to this person that he (according to their profile) felt the need to be so mean. Now, thanks to my family and friends, I know I am not ugly, but what if he had left such a comment on someone’s profile, who had a low self-esteem! What if his “idea of a fun comment” had broken someone’s spirit! How do such people sleep at night? 

Since we are on the topic of leaving hurtful comments on the internet, I want to share a series of mean comments that I received:

• You look like a stick.
• I worry about her husband. How does he fulfill his needs?
• You call yourself a makeup-blogger. You don’t even know how to put on an eye-liner.  I can do it better than you. 

I have forgotten many of such remarks. Do you know why? Because I have a support system:

1. Faith in God
2. A loving Family
3. Friends who adore me
4. My Self-Awareness

I may fall down a million number of times, but it shouldn’t be because of any comment from a low-life. According to me, these people need a serious reality check and professional help. I am not saying this to demean anyone. The reason I am saying this is because no human, in their right state of mind, would say degrading stuff to another human being. It’s just not possible. There are so many people who have hurt me in the past few months, but I would not hurt even them with a comment of such humiliating degree. That is not a humane thing to do any way.

We cannot change the world. We cannot help everyone. But that does not mean that we should stop trying. If you find someone in distress, do not leave them without making an effort to uplift their spirit. When you sense that your friend is depressed, convince them to seek help, but, for god’s sake, do not leave them alone during that time. As long as you seek forgiveness for your actions, you must learn to try and forgive others as well. The most important thing of all, do not bully someone just because you can. There is no superiority in doing that. The dignified things to do are to help others, be kind to them, leave helpful comments that may motivate them to do better, and be the best version of yourself every single day.

Whatever happened in 2018, I am moving ahead with a positive spirit and a kind heart. I am happy for those who would join me in this journey, but I also pay my best to those who have decided to part ways. Do what makes you feel good without hurting anyone. Be you — unapologetically. Spread joy and be remembered for the love that you offered to everyone.

Have you ever faced cyber-bullying? How did you handle it?