Summer 2016: I've got a great feeling about it. Last summer seemed to have stolen the "Best Summer Ever" award, but you can't help but hope that with each new summer brings new memories and opportunities.

Summer is a magical time. The stress levels are at an all time low, the weather is beautiful, and people have this glow about them. So much emphasis is put on these three or four months, which it usually lives up to.

When I think of summer, I think of reuniting with hometown friends, music festivals, days at the lake and pool, and exploring new places. The one other thing that comes to mind, and I know that it does for many others, is the anticipation for a summer romance.

Summer romances have become something expected in our society, and maybe it's because we've seen too many Nicholas Sparks movies, but summer love has really been revved up and romanticized. It seems like it's the thing to do: find someone to have a carefree, country-song-inspired relationship with for these few short months.

From what my friends and I have experienced, they're more complicated than anything. Trying to figure out intentions, figuring out what you want yourself, and seeing if this "fling" is exclusive or not... I don't know about you all, but it is just plain exhausting. And the worst part is that when a fling falls flat, you're left feeling down in the dumps because your idea of a "perfect" summer didn't come true.

So, I'm going to challenge you to make this the best summer yet when it comes to love: focus all that time and effort you've put into pursuing a summer romance with someone else, and put that into loving yourself.

You can literally not lose if you put energy into making yourself into a better, more confident version of yourself. For both men and women, we live in a society that feeds off of our low self-esteem based on our image, personality, success, and overall "perfect life" that social media pressures us to have. So instead of feeling insecure and trying to find your worth and gratification in another person, try finding it in yourself first.

Summer is a laid-back time where the pressure of life seems to be softened. Instead of obsessing over how many likes you get (and how many are from potential love interests), try reading a book that will change your perspective on life ("Into the Wild" and "Perks of Being a Wallflower" are just two phenomenal examples). Go on dates with yourself and learn to love being by yourself. Challenge yourself to do things for yourself because it's what you want. Treat yo self.

Self-love is one of the greatest things that I have discovered in my life. There isn't much that I'm sure about in life, but this is one of them: When you make loving yourself, truly loving yourself and accepting yourself 100 percent for who you are, life becomes a lot easier in more aspects than one.

So this summer, don't look for love in others, look for love in yourself. Give yourself a love story that you can guarantee a happy ending to. And when you're ready, the right person at the right time will come along. Maybe it will be during the summer, maybe in the fall, but I challenge you to make your summer fling this year about loving yourself.