I am at that point in my life where I don’t have time to dwell on the negatives; I have too many good things going for me and I need to remember that. I may be young but I know what I want and I will stop at nothing to accomplish my dreams. I have learned a lot these past couple years as I have grown and matured and the most important being this:

1. I'm not going to beg you to be a part of my life.

We spend too much time trying to get attention from people who could care less about us or what we are going through. You might have to learn this the hard way, but not everyone is meant to be a part of your life. There will be people who will walk into your life and do nothing but tear you down. No matter how much you want their approval or how much you want them to be there for you, sometimes it just wasn’t meant to be. Stop wasting your time on people who don’t think twice about you. You have too many people in your life that you mean the world to. Don’t bend over backwards for people who would not do it for you.

2. You're stronger than you think.

Despite everything you have been through, it is not over. There will always be circumstances that you can not control and you are going to get hurt. Things will not always be in your favor and things will not always going to go your way. There will be times that you think you can not make it through and there will be times that you feel like giving up is your only option. Something else will go wrong when you think there is no way things could get any worse. This will happen at the worst of times and you will feel degraded and exhausted from it all. Don’t give up; this isn't the end. You can get through this, and you will get through this. You have been through so much and this is just an obstacle on your road to success. Someday all this crap is going to pay off and you will come out stronger than ever.

3. Where ever you are, be there.

There is nothing worse than a missed opportunity because you are too distracted to take advantage of it. Living in a world where technology is so consistent it is hard to enjoy the moment. Don’t miss out on this experience; enjoy the journey. If you are spending time with your family, be there. If you are in class learning, be there. If you are at the gym, be there. Everything else can wait. Take full advantage of all life has to offer. Be who you want to be when you want to be it. Enjoy spending time with people because that may be all you have. Enjoy every aspect of your life and I promise you won’t regret it, your time is now.

4. Focus on the good. You have too much of it to let the bad overcome you.

Think about the little things -- your family your friends -- how lucky you are to be able to get out of bed every day and live life. Not everyone has that opportunity. Focus on that. The bad is just added to it. Don’t forget what is right in front of you and focus on something that is temporarily hurting you. Don’t go every day focusing on how much your life “sucks” what about all of the opportunities you are blessed to have? What about the life you are so lucky to have? Life is too short to dwell on the bad, focus on what keeps you going every day. Stay positive, don’t let the little things get to you. Everything will be okay.

5. Don't dwell on the past.

You are who you are and there is no changing that no matter how hard you try. Don’t try and forget your past, what you’ve been through, what you have seen, these are the things that make you who you are. Your past is a part of you, embrace that. There is no use trying to hide the things you’ve done or the things you have been through. Everyone has a past, spending your whole life trying to forget that will only bring you down and hinder your happiness. Rather than be ashamed or feeling sorry for yourself, be happy. Be happy that you came back from whatever is was that held you down for so long. This is what makes you, you, and that will never go away. Accept that, no matter how hard it may be.