Everybody struggles inside

A few years ago, I had a new manager who was confident, kind, and easygoing.

He is the type of person you could open up to and trust almost instantly. He carried himself with warmth, cracked jokes in meetings, and made the workplace feel lighter just by being there.​

But after only a few months, he left the company.​

Just weeks before his departure, he told me why. He had become depressed. There were family issues that made it impossible for him to stay in this country. Most days, while he sat in meetings, ate lunch, or rode the commute, his mind was always with his family, thousands of miles away.​

And yet he carried himself like someone who had it all together.​

It made me realise something I hadn't fully understood before: We are not who we are at work. After all, we're expected to stay professional, to separate our personal struggles from our work lives, to keep it together even when things are falling apart.​

But here's what I've come to understand: we're all carrying something. Some of us worry about our families. Some carry the weight of uncertainty about the future. Others carry grief, loneliness, or the quiet exhaustion of just trying to keep up.​

And most of the time, we do it silently. We show up. We smile. We perform our roles. Because we think that's what's expected of us.​

But what if we didn't have to carry it all alone?

Gentle words and honest warmth have a way of making even a stranger feel seen. Kindness isn't about fixing anyone's problems. It's about sharing the weight, if only for a moment. It's about recognising that the person sitting across from you might be fighting a battle you know nothing about.​

A simple "How are you really doing?" can open doors. A moment of genuine attention can remind someone that they're not invisible. These small gestures might seem ordinary, or corny, even, but they matter more than we realise.​

Because the person sitting across from you might need your support more than you'll ever know, the coworker who always seems cheerful might be struggling at home. The friend who's always cracking jokes might be using humour to cope. The manager who appears to have it all together might be barely holding on.

And maybe, just maybe, one day you'll find that person was you.

Let's be kind to each other.

I hope you find this insightful. Remember:

It's not going to be easy,
But it's not impossible.

Your friend,
Brian.