Popular opinion: 2016 has been a terrible year for a vast majority of people across this country.

If you ask almost anyone, they'll tell you that 2016 was not their year and that they can't wait for it to be over. But in my case, it's a different story. I am thankful. 2016 was filled with so many blessings and adventures for me. I learned and achieved so much. This year was full of happiness, love, and self-growth.

Here are 16 ways that I grew this year:

1. I graduated one college and got accepted into another college.

In May I graduated Suffolk County Community College with an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts. In August, with the help of that degree, I started my journey to achieve my B.A as a Childhood Education major at SUNY Old Westbury to be a teacher.

2. I learned appreciation.

I've always appreciated what I have in life. But this year I truly feel like I've opened my eyes and developed a deeper appreciation for who I am, what I have available to me, and the value of the people in relationships that I have in every aspect of life.

3. I realized money truly is not everything.

I do have two jobs so you could argue this one, but it's true. While I need money to pay for my car, gas, food, insurance, etc. I've realized that the things that mean the most in life are not material things at all, but experiences and the time you have to spend with the ones you love.

4. I stopped putting my weight above my mental health.

I've never been the skinny girl, and for my entire life I've made myself miserable because of it. I was embarrassed about myself, and could not find one thing I liked about my body. I felt I wasn't good enough for my boyfriend, and that I was the fat ugly duckling of my friend group. My focus was my weight and that was never good enough for me. This year I learned that there are more important things in life than that and to stop comparing myself to other people.

5. I learned to love myself.

Now I really do love myself, and I owe a lot of that to my boyfriend, who has been nothing but supportive and helpful the past 4 years helping me on the journey to self-love. Sometimes it's hard, but for the first time, this year I think I achieved what I'd been trying to for years. I know I'm not perfect and some days are better than others, but I've learned to accept myself and be happy with who I am.

6. I stopped trying to make people like me.

My whole life has been a question of whether or not I'm good enough, and what else I can do to get people to think of me in a certain way. This year, I stopped caring. If you like me, great. But if you don't, I don't care.

7. I learned to slow down.

With going to school full time and working two jobs, this one is still hard. But I've learned the importance of taking a step back and "stopping to smell the roses." oh god, I sound like my father.

8. I let myself be proud.

I realized that being humble is a great virtue, but that if I do something that is freakin' amazing, it's okay to brag about it from time to time. This year I let myself be proud of me.

9. I booked a vacation.

I'm always on the go, and I feel like if I'm not always moving, that I'm missing something, or that there has to be something that needs to get done. I let go of that feeling, and I booked a 10-day cruise to the Carribean this January.

10. I let go of toxic friends.

I have a habit of being drawn to toxic people. Sometimes it's because I'm just too attached to them and can't let go even if it's hurting me. Other times it's because I think I can fix them and make it work. And other times it's because I feel bad ending relationships with other people. But this year I did cut ties with a few people to better myself.

11. I'm learning to let go.

All my life I've had problems with control. I feel as though I need to control every aspect of my life. And it was causing problems. It was causing problems in my relationship, my friendships, my family, and inside myself. I learned that even if I'm not in control that I'll still be okay. Life will work itself out. I was driving myself crazy trying to control every tiny thing in my life. And I'm learning to let go of that control, and I've been so much happier since.

12. I learned patience.

In April, I got a job as an Assistant Teacher at a Childcare/Preschool/Pre-K. This job has given me all sorts of new outlooks on life, being around children from 1 y.o to 12 y.o. Helping these children learn and grow has taught me an extreme sense of patience in all different aspects of my life.

13. I got a job that will help me in the future.

Obviously, this is the job above ^

Since I'm going to school for Childhood Education, the experiences and information this job is teaching me is greatly preparing me for my future in not only teaching, but to be a parent. It's also not too bad to pad my resume with after I graduate. I've learned so much about growth and children from this job, and also a great deal about life from these children.

14. I learned to be the bigger person.

Whether it's fighting with a friend, or a confrontation on Facebook, which we've all been stuck in. I've learned that sometimes it's better to just keep your mouth shut. Even if you know you're right, sometimes it's just not worth it. I've learned the right time to suck up your pride and walk away.

15. I stepped out of my comfort zone.

My life has been a big bubble. It was easy, I stuck to what I knew, and if I wasn't comfortbale with something or didnt know how to do it; the answer was simple, i just didnt do it. Now, every day I find myself stepping out of my comfort zone, and I am a new person because of it.

16. I made a better life for me.

I am so thankful for 2016. It has been the best year of my life. I have aquired so many new traits and a different outlook on life, and I've been given so many blessings. This year really changed my life. I can only hope 2017 is filled with just as much growth and adventures for me, and i can't wait.