I sometimes wonder if the TV and the internet has made it more difficult for people to feel whole and worthy just by the virtue of being alive. I think about this every time I check my Facebook page, scroll through Twitter or surf the web for new blogs. Because people don’t usually share their recovery stories, their triumph over coping with depression, or their ability to manage their illness (except for maybe on our page), what you see is continuous feeds of all the good, seemingly perfect things going on in other people’s lives.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that. But I think it’s equally important to recognize the seemingly less glamorous stories going on in the world-like how you’ve learned ways to deal with your grief, feel good about your body or gain confidence from managing your emotions. These are worthy accomplishments! And I hope you realize that. I hope you know that you don’t need to be successful at your career, create the perfect family, invent something new, have thousands of followers on Twitter, or wear a swimsuit like a supermodel to feel like you deserve love. Those external things that make everyone else look perfect are just distractions. They take us away from what matters most.

This short blog contains important posts on ways to help you do that — to remind you that the most important thing we can do is love ourselves and each other. You’ll see that in Margarita’s popular post on the dangers of weight-loss commercials and in Dr. Goldstein’s post on bringing mindfulness to help kids in school. May the messages they bring stay with you as you go on with your day and keep you cognizant of what’s truly important in life. Have a great weekend!

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