For year's I found myself in a series of "Best friendships" that, for one reason or another never seemed to last, not until recently that is (She's my forever friend). During those years’ I couldn't help but feel alone. In my young, boy mind, I felt I needed someone there, someone to call my own and have my back. Someone to mask on the outside how truly alone I felt on the inside. Surprise, surprise, that someone was me. But being my own best friend did more than just cure loneliness. It gave me the chance to connect with myself, to care, Love and appreciate the person I was meant to be. It’s the reason I can walk comfortably down the street in smiley face under wear without a second thought (Everyone has their own thing). It gave me an in with the most important person I’d ever meet; me. I’ve never been happier to be lonely.

• Tell Yourself How Good Your Hair Looks Even If It Does Resemble Macaroni & Cheese

We like to hear it from other people, so why not ourselves? I’m talking about compliments people! Nothing can feel better than taking satisfaction in the fact that, yeah, you look damn good this morning! Or that artichoke painting, it’s not the best thing you’ve ever seen but it isn’t the worst! Why wait for someone else to brighten your day, when you can do it yourself? With a combination of both you could be blinding.

• HAHA Him HAHA, You Don’t Know What That Means, But I Do and It Gives Me The Funnies

The best sense of humor a person can have is the one that keeps THEM laughing! If you’re an entertainer like me then you know the many joys that come from other people’s lolling, but don’t sacrifice your own outburst in the process. There are countless times when I have found myself laughing because of the zippy thoughts in my head. I Love it because whether I am on my own or in company I am happy!

• The World’s Best Date…

Is with you. Think about it, you found someone who won’t complain when it comes down to what you want to do, someone who knows everything you like and dislike so they already know how to treat you, you’re able to be totally comfortable with them, so sweat pants are okay and you’ll never have that awkward moment deciding who needs to pay, not to mention you’re guaranteed a second date. Isn’t that what we all look for anyway? In all truth sometimes a little time with you and only you can be the best time. From personal experience I recommend movies, dinners, long drives, and concerts. Those all are great if you are on your own dime, own time, and have an appreciation for grime (It’s a type of music).

• You Like to Paint? Okay Picasso. You Like to Kick? Play Soccer. You Like Trump? Like Something Else.

I have a plethora of friends who have taught me the value of doing what makes you happy. It’s weird to think that we would do anything else isn’t it? But we do because what’s more contradictory than a human? My forever friend (she is everywhere) has learned her way around our contradictions and because of her I am learning my way around too. Through trial and error, I have witnessed her learn to do what makes her happy. McDonalds’ for example, the hamartia of America (and just about any fast food) has helped her discover the happiness in quality food. She knows eating fast food won’t make her happy, it will only make her question the crap she willingly puts into her body. Therefore, she says aloha (which means hello and goodbye in Hawaiian) to fast food and aloha again to the good stuff (lots or Marianos). Another dear friend of mine, didn’t have to do much learning but is a prime example of doing what makes her happy because she already knew selflessness was the way to go. I don’t know when this began, but on her birthday she does what humans do and contradicts everything we believe in. Where most are prone to getting on their birthday, she is prone to giving. Throughout the year she devises a list of random acts of kindness to do on her birthday, which is just as good as getting because it’s what makes happy. That’s the whole point isn’t it? To be happy?

• Listen to Those Lips

You give great advice. Now take it. We so often rely on others to guide us through our troubled times or when we can’t make up our minds. What you fail to realize is you probably are giving better advice to someone than someone is going to give to you, if you opened your ears and really heard what you had to say you would see that. I have seen a lot of bonding come from one person advising another in their life choices, not that bonding is bad and sometimes you need a shoulder to cry on because yours is too hard to reach BUT you most likely already have the answers. There’s a reward in knowing you can help yourself.

• Find Your Inner Cheerleader, Cheer for You

Do you ever think of how crazy talented your friends are and how lucky you are to be a part of their life and everything they do? Do you ever think the same about yourself? I know about the rush and excitement when you see them doing what they Love, the instant wave of proud that hits you and makes you want to scream out their name or cry, sometimes a good combination of both. Try that for yourself the next time you find you’re doing good at something you Love. There is no bigger influence in your life than the voice inside your head, so use it to your advantage. Let yourself know how awesome you’re doing so that even when things get tough you’re not so quick to get down. I discovered this skill only recently during a performance of Harvey by Mary Chase. I had the pleasure of playing Elwood P. Dowd, the character the show is centered around, and while it was secretly a dream come true it was one of the most stressful experiences I have ever been through. What made it bearable was that I was rooting for myself to be the past damn rabbit seeing, gentleman there ever was. It was in this show where I decided “okay, you’re actually good.” Which was a weight lifter considering acting is now my career path. But I couldn’t have done as good if I hadn’t been on the side lines of my mind cheering for me to win. And I did.

• Share Your Greatness

A large part of having a best friend is being proud of everything they do no matter what it is. You get to brag about their accomplishments and let people know “yeah, that’s MY friend” so how does it come off when you’re bragging about yourself? Conceited is the first word that comes to mind but it shouldn’t, unless that’s what you want it to be. The reason this step is important is because of appreciation, so often I’ll drag on about all the amazing things she’s done and will do, it’s in those time when I fall a little more in Love with her and begin to count my blessings. There’s a change when you say it out loud to another human. That same feeling can happen when you talk up yourself to. It’s fun to be like “Woah! Look at all these things I am doing!” you feel proud and appreciate yourself. So share with the world, all that is you.

• And Baby You Should Go and Love Yourself

This is the most challenging step. It is the most rewarding. The key to any relationship is Loving the person who’s in it. Whether it be mom, dad, friend, cousin, sibling, uncle, Lover, even strangers deserve degrees of your Love. You however deserve it all. When you open the doors to Loving yourself, you open the doors to anything and everything. An important thing for most people is Loving someone else, one of my favorite quotes from Rent is “Love is not a three-way street, you’ll never share real Love until you Love yourself” Loving yourself allows room for nothing but the best. It takes time but once you can look in the mirror and say I like what I see you have the power to do anything. I think of Beyoncé in these times. Here is a woman who at such a young age has achieved enough for a thousand lifetimes, she has lived repeatedly and worldwide. From her music and a video that has always inspired me (titled Yours and Mine) I have seen that the answer to these things are the fact that she put herself first. She made time for the number one person in her life. With Loving yourself comes invincibility, no amount of rejection, pain, or loss can stop you from reaching what you need. We all need a little invincibility in our lives.

• Do You Want The Truth Or The Lie?

At this point in time we all know honesty is the best policy. So this one is easy. Just tell yourself the truth. Don’t make excuses, own everything. What is the use in lying to yourself? It could only stop you from getting where you need to be. Lying to me is a tool people use to get around how they really feel. There’s better ways to avoid your feelings if you need to. But the best thing about telling yourself the truth is that you’re the only one it comes back to.

• I Can Do Bad All By Myself

Do not be afraid to be alone. It is empowering to know that you can survive this world on your own. It feels great to have obligation only to yourself. You can do whatever you want, be whoever you want. However, being your best friend is rewarding but remember the other people in your life that helped you get to where you are. A dear friend of mine tried to convey the important of people to me, he said “stick with people...” something something I forget the quote but he was right. If there is one thing in this world to do it’s to stick with each other. We are all we have.

• My Attitude is Gratitude

Thank you, me. We say thank you when they hold the doors, when they bring us food, when they tell us we look nice but there’s one thank you that we never seem to say. The biggest thank you should go to you!!! You owe it to yourself. Without you, you would have nothing. No friends, no fun, no knowledge. You give constantly to yourself so why wouldn’t you say thank you? They say a little gratitude goes a long way, and their right! Think about how much you have to thank yourself for and what a long way that must be.

• Dear Bestfriends,

The good thing about best friends is the fact that you can have as many as you choose. There is no limit, there is no expectation. If you are enough for you, rock on! If half the neighborhood is enough for you, rock on! Whatever you do just be happy with who you are and the life you live. That’s all that matters.