2016 was the year we all thought everything we wanted to happen, would. We're 10 months in and I've been ready to try again in 2017 for awhile now. Although 2016 may not have been the year we all hoped it would be, it did teach me several things.

1. The people you have in your life at the beginning of the year can change by the end of the year.

People change, and if they aren't improving your life in one way or another, it's okay to drop them.

2. Take lots and lots of pictures.

Don't let your camera take over your life, though. Capture the moments with both your camera lens and within your mind. You want to be able to look back and see that you cherished those moments.

3. Be nice to everyone.

You never know what people are going through in their personal lives. Everyone has something in their past or present, that with one trigger, could be worth collapsing on the ground and crying. Smile at those you pass. Always be kind.

4. Getting close and letting someone in is terrifying, but it's also worth it.

No matter what could happen in the end, that person was either meant to be a chapter in your book or the whole story.

5. The second you feel your happiness being dictated by someone else, take a break from them.

You decide your own happiness, not another person.

6. Feel everything. Let it hurt. Let it make you angry. Let it make you the happiest person.

Feel everything, but never go back to what broke you.

7. Tell people how you feel.

I know putting your feelings out there is scary, but say it aloud. Don't keep it in, don't overthink it, just do it.

8. Don't be so obsessed with someone that you forget about yourself.

Phone calls, text messages, plans of the future, swollen lips and "I want you's" can make you feel again, but don't make it to where you feel like the air has been knocked out of you and the ground beneath your feet is no longer there when you don't hear from them the next day. Now is the time to focus on yourself.

9. Your first impression of someone isn't always the most accurate.

People can't always be on their best all of the time. Life is hard, sometimes it is hard to make yourself great all of the time. Give people chances, but not enough to where they stop trying.

10. You only need yourself, but having people by your side means a lot more than you think.

The people that love you the most will always be there for you. They will be your shoulder to cry on, they will be the ones to pick you up when you're down. Make sure you always have them.