Honestly, throughout my entire life, I've been pretty insecure. Trust me though, I have definitely improved so much and learning how to love myself is a beautiful and long journey. It definitely isn't over, so today I wanted to remind some of you why it's so important to talk to yourself as kindly as you would a friend. It's so easy to be negative about yourself, but in the end, who is that really helping? Honesty and kindness are two of the most important traits that I want to live by, and that needs to start with myself.

So, who am I? What's so great about me?

I've lived in the Bay Area for over 19 years of my life, and just recently went through a huge change transferring to USC. I got my first job when I was 16 and I had always centered my life around work and school. I used to have dreams of being a writer, a chef, an optometrist, and then settled on something in the field of business, which brought me to LA. It's been quite the adventure, with a lot of ups and downs and changes and people, but I don't think I can say that I regret anything.

One thing that I love about myself is my drive. Ever since I can remember, I always wanted to do a good job at everything. Maybe it was just because I wanted praise as a kid, but now I think I just am prideful in anything that I produce. With a lot of different ventures in my life, it would've been so easy to give up, and take the easy way along. I was tempted many times by different people including myself, but there was always a little part of me telling me that I can keep going. That little voice took control many times and got me through a lot of times that I never thought I would get through in the moment. I love her for that.

Another thing that I pride myself in is my love for music. Though it took me way too long to realize how much passion I had for it, I am so thankful that I did! Listening to music really gives me so much happiness and can make me feel whole. It has connected me to so many people and allows me to feel so much more than I would if I didn't have an attachment with it as much as I do. Maybe one day, I'll even learn how to play an instrument! For now though, I will stick to singing along in my car and trying to dance but really just looking like a fool.

Though they don't have the best vision, I love my eyes. It's so ironic because I used to hate my eye color. I have brown eyes, but my mom has blue eyes and I was always so jealous. Lately though, in the right light, I've noticed that the brown in my eyes has a golden hue. I think it is so pretty now! I love to accentuate my eyes when I do my makeup and make them stand out.

Lastly, I love that I am able to self-reflect. I think this has actually made me so aware of how I treat the people around me. I think I didn't treat people the way I should have in the past, but I really have learned from my mistakes. It's so important to be honest with yourself and look at how you are treating the people in your life. Though it took me so long to get here, I do feel like I am really discovering myself and it feels pretty great!

Honestly, this felt a little weird to write, and that's okay. We need to normalize being kinder to ourselves, and realizing what makes us who we are. I hope you take some time at the end of this year to really reflect on yourself, and decided what you love about yourself. It can be so much harder to love yourself than you may think, but it's one of the most important things to do when you put yourself out into the world.