There’s an old cliche that “everyone has a story,” but there’s a reason it’s a cliche. Every person has a story because everyone has a struggle. - Brandon Stanton

My sister taught me how to ask for money from my parents. First you give them a compliment. Then you talk about your day. Then you tell them about your grades. Then you ask for money.

So what I am always looking for is, I'm always looking for something that that person has told me that nobody else has told me. It is normally not an opinion, and it is normally not a philosophy. It's almost always a story. Because we all share similar philosophies, we all share similar opinions on a lot of different issues, but all of our stories are our own.

If our shields are what separate us, it’s what’s behind them that brings us together: the struggles, the worries, the pain, the weakness. All the soft spots. The places we protect. These are the things that make us most relatable to others. These ads the things that connect us - if only we allow them to be seen.