Morning Coffee Thoughts: The Burden of Always Being 'Okay'
"How are you?" We hear that question all the time, and we all know the answer people expect. I usually just say, "I'm okay." You probably do too. It’s automatic—even on those days when everything feels like it’s falling apart. I remember one day in particular. Everything felt wrong. Work was chaotic, family issues kept piling up, and I was drowning in stress. But when someone asked, I just smiled and said, "I'm okay." Why? Because it’s easier. It’s easier than explaining. Definitely easier than admitting I was struggling. The truth is, saying "I'm not okay" can bring attention we don’t really want. Sometimes people ask just to be polite. Other times, they’re just curious—they don’t actually care. They just want something to talk about. So, we stick with "I'm okay." It keeps things simple. It keeps people out of our business. And it spares us from dealing with fake concern. But when hiding our feelings becomes a habit, it
