Regardless of how well we know each other, here are some things I know are true:

You’ve always given your best and tried your hardest. You did the best you could with what you knew at the time, how much energy you had and what resources were available to you. Yes, you might wish you had been able to do more or that things had turned out differently, but you did your best, and you can feel proud and satisfied with that.

You have amazing inner strengths that shape your character and influence how you engage with the world. You are probably kind; kindness is the most common strength worldwide. You may also possess great amounts of creativity, courage, spirituality, humor, modesty, leadership or almost two dozen other qualities that are valued worldwide and are a huge benefit to humanity. If you don’t know what your strengths are, you can find out for free by taking the VIA Survey of Character Strengths or download a workbook I created called “24 Ways to See the Best in Yourself” here. 

Your smile lights up a room and can make someone’s day. 

All the nice little things you do for others — from holding the door to making someone’s favorite meal to saying thank you to the kid who bagged your groceries — add positivity to the world. Every one of them matters. Your simple gestures might be the nicest thing that happen to someone else all day. 

Keep up the awesome work and don’t forget to use some of that kindness on yourself.