Lately, life seems to be getting the best of me and all that I have going on. It's definitely a vicious cycle of ups + downs and little baby slumps that I find myself getting into but listen, what's life without a little bit of diversity and a whole lot of g r o w i n g pains?Whether you're dealing with a heartbreak, worrying about finals week in school, dealing with friendship drama OR even a work debacle . . . . . . . life is F O R E V E R throwing curves and challenging you to become the BEST person you can be. It's so much easier said than done to just "let the heartbreak go—it's his loss, you're so much better off" or even to just study, study, study "you'll be fine, you're smarter than you think" LIKE okay, I get it. Well actually, no. I don't . . . . sometimes I just really am so simple minded that I cannot fathom a dang thing—I'm in my own head, always. It's tough to break that kind of growing pains cycle but I AM LEARNING. I can whole-heartedly say that I'm learning + understanding.

Heartbreaks hurt. Real bad, really really bad. It will alter your life forever and it'll seem as if that one person who turned your world upside down—stole your happiness away when they stole your heart, but they didn't. I promise you, they did NOT. It may take some time for you to get your feet back under you + find your happiness, but it's there. It'll always be there. Might be covered up or in the recycling bin, LOL, but it's there + one day your happiness will come flooding back into your life, straight from left field and you'll be like, W A I T. What? I'm happy? Actually, genuinely happy? THIS cannot be real? No. Who is playing this nasty little trick on me? Pinch me.

T H I S, these ups and downs and slummy little days are necessary for growth. Let's be real, it's the only way we all ever grow in order to become a better "you" and to T A K E life on full force. Don't look back my beautiful little soul, you're not going that way.

You're moving and going  >> F O R W A R D < <  so let's just move forward. Stop worrying. Worry is just silly—it's like walking around with a dang umbrella waiting and just waiting for it to rain. Don't do that to yourself.

Let the past be the past + those people who have hurt you . . . . . let them stay in the past too! Accept the things that have happened and allow yourself the time to grow and understand why these things happened in your life. Everything that has happened is molding you into the most beautiful little soul that will ever walk this face of the planet.

Things may never make sense to you but P L E A S E, just trust me on this one, as much as it doesn't make sense right now (or in a few weeks or months, *maybe not even a year) KEEP ON keeping on. Your life will soon begin to make sense and fall into place. Just have *faith in yourself and don't look back.

Appreciate the people who love you unconditionally and *make sure they know how much you cherish them! Everyday. Life is too short, but do NOT ever allow A N Y O N E the power to take your happiness away. Your happiness is always inside of you so let it dictate the "happy path" in your life! Life without happiness just isn't a life at all—find it, keep it, cherish it + don't even let anyone take it away from you!