 |
| {via: tumblr} |
In my short 16 years of life so far I've learned that happiness doesn't always come naturally. One of the biggest and most important things I learned in 2015 is that you have to want to be happy and work for it. Despite having all the tools you need to succeed, if you aren't trying to be happy you're going to get stuck in a rut and it can be hard to pull yourself out.
Early in 2015, I started feeling lonely and isolated in my life, and I didn't talk to my family or friends about it. I put on a smile and kept doing the things I'd always done, but deep down I wasn't as lively as I used to be. I fought a lot with my closest friends and family, and it was around then that I stopped blogging. When I finally decided that something in my life needed to change, I found out news that wasn't surprising and much expected, but when it was finalized I had to face it. I put on a brave face and tried even harder to be the same Lauren that I was the year before, but everything felt wrong. In the months that followed, I cried a lot, because it made me feel better to get out all of my emotions. I still wasn't talking to anyone, though most of the people around me knew that I wasn't at the happiest time in my life.
By the end of the summer I had accepted that my life was going to be a certain way, so I tried to make the best of it even though it wasn't what I wanted. From August to November I put all my energy into the doing the things I was supposed to; working hard in school, participating in clubs, and working on my blog; so I had barely any time alone with my thoughts. Although I loved everything I was doing, I was using it as a distraction. It wasn't until mid-November that I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and reclaim control of my happiness. Instead of keeping everything bottled up I started to keep a journal to write down what I was feeling and I started to talk to more people and be a more positive version of myself. I couldn't completely change my attitude overnight, but I've been working hard to be the me I used to be (what a rhyme) and do more of what makes me happy. Somewhere in my journey through high school, I lost confidence in myself, but I have full faith in myself that once I regain that confidence I'll be happier than I've ever been.
The past year has been one of the bumpiest I've ever had, and I know that it's had such a huge impact on my character and my outlook on life. 2015 taught me that happiness isn't handed to you, you have to work for it and once you do you'll be happier than you've ever been. Sometimes you have to get stuck in a bad place to be able to come out the other side, and once you do you'll be so thankful that you took the journey. One of my biggest tips is not to go through it alone, if you are feeling constantly and significantly unhappy then talk to people! Whether it be your parents, your best friends, or your favorite teacher talk to someone; and if you feel like you can't then cry a lot and do whatever you need to express yourself whether it be words (me), art, dancing, etc.
My ultimate goal in sharing this post is to help anyone I possibly can. I feel as though I've been wanting to say all of this to someone for a while now so that hopefully I can help them, and what better platform than my blog. Thank you all so much for reading and commenting on my blog this past year, and I am so excited to see where these next 358 days of the year take me! Stay tuned, xo Lauren.
The past year has been one of the bumpiest I've ever had, and I know that it's had such a huge impact on my character and my outlook on life. 2015 taught me that happiness isn't handed to you, you have to work for it and once you do you'll be happier than you've ever been. Sometimes you have to get stuck in a bad place to be able to come out the other side, and once you do you'll be so thankful that you took the journey. One of my biggest tips is not to go through it alone, if you are feeling constantly and significantly unhappy then talk to people! Whether it be your parents, your best friends, or your favorite teacher talk to someone; and if you feel like you can't then cry a lot and do whatever you need to express yourself whether it be words (me), art, dancing, etc.
My ultimate goal in sharing this post is to help anyone I possibly can. I feel as though I've been wanting to say all of this to someone for a while now so that hopefully I can help them, and what better platform than my blog. Thank you all so much for reading and commenting on my blog this past year, and I am so excited to see where these next 358 days of the year take me! Stay tuned, xo Lauren.
