What is grief?, and how to overcome it. I am aware that not many people talk about grief. It is something that may make some people uncomfortable, but it happens. It is important to learn how to overcome it- some tips or ideas on how to deal with grief in case you ever find yourself in this emotional process. Grief is a feeling that we all feel when we lose someone very important to us. It can be any person: someone in your family, a friend, etc. It can be pets like dogs, cats, etc. To grieve is natural in the process of loss. I know because I have experienced loss a couple of times. In my experience, grief comes and goes in waves of sadness. I know this first-hand. My father had cancer. After fighting cancer for four years, he entered palliative care and died the following week. I was devastated when he passed away, as it changed my whole world. Through the next months, and even years, I have learned this valuable message: Grief never goes away, we only learn how to live with it. To learn to live with grief, to overcome it, it really helps to have a routine. When you feel too sad to do anything, that’s when the routine helps, it gives you structure and order when you need it most; when you feel lost. From experience, I can tell you that getting help is another great way to overcome grief. I talked with people: friends, family, acquaintances, etc. I also entered group sessions with other people who went through the same things. It’s nice to know there are other people who can connect with you about similar experiences- to know you are not alone. I also practiced activities that made me feel calm, that brought me peace, or a way to express my pain. I recommend that everyone should have a hobby, because it really helps to do what you love to distract yourself from grieving. Loss can make oneself feel powerless, I know this, I went through this process. However, I found my strength to overcome grief, to keep going on- to carry on with life. After all, Life keeps moving, you either go with the flow, or you get stuck and cannot keep up. I believe that anyone has the capability of finding their own strength to carry on. I would like to share a quote from the comic-book character Professor X in the film Days of the Future Past: “Just because someone stumbles, loses their way, doesn’t mean they’re lost forever. Sometimes, we all need a little help.” To me, this phrase is inspirational, because it relates with what I’ve lived through. I find it true that sometimes, we do need help to find our strengths, and that’s okay. To need help doesn’t mean you’re weak. No, sometimes help makes us stronger, makes us better people. Thank you all for listening, and haven given me your time to share this message. Hello everyone! My name is Alex Balkin, I am a 11th grade student This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx