There are holidays arranged to give thanks to your parents, siblings, grandparents, etc. but what about self-love day? You spend the most time with yourself. No one knows you better than you. Meaning no one has helped you go through what you've been through better than you. Others can help and give advice but your mindset and inner self is the true player. You decide what happens to you, and peer pressure happens, but in a more real sense, in the end, you are the making the decision whether it is good or bad. When we choose something good we get on a happy high that lasts a couple of days, but when we do something bad we regret it for the months on end and sometimes never peace.

When something sad happens to me, even if it's not the most terrible thing to ever happen, I feel like my mind hits a reset button and I feel nothing but self loathe and emptiness. There are also moments in my life where the only thing I'm sad about is that the wonderful moments can't last forever. That may sound a little bipolar, but it's just normal emotions that we all feel.

"I love you," is possibly one the best-overused phrases, but when it's said at the right moments and used by the right person, damn that means something. I'm sure you've used that phrase over and over again to your family, significant other, and best friends but it will never sound better than when you look in the mirror after all your hardships and tell yourself, "I love you."

I'm very happy and content with myself at the moment and it's taken a lot in these past 18 years to say that. That is why I'm now saying thank you to myself for choosing the things that I did in the past that have led me to where I am today. I didn't know those sad and self-worth depriving things would ever do me good until I realized that those things were stepping stones to the happiness I'm developing to feel.

Life is rough and everyone is imperfect, making it very hard to not have crappy days, weeks, months, or even years (Sing it with me "Friends" fans). That's why I think we should thank ourselves more often for the failures that have turned out wonderful. If your first love would have never broken your heart you wouldn't know the glory of feeling everything piece back together or the relief of when you finally move on. If you wouldn't have failed your Algebra test you wouldn't feel the same pride in yourself as you would the next time you get an A. Life is rough and the twists and turns are part of the worst rollercoaster you'll ever be on but I hope in the end you look back, know you had fun, and thank yourself for never giving up.