Sometimes it gets hard to keep on keeping on, but with the right words, life is not as bad as it may seem. Here are a few self-affirmations I try to keep echoing in my mind when I'm not doing so hot, or that my friends remind themselves:

1. You are stronger than you think you are.

2. You deserve to be alive.

3. You are okay. It's okay. It's gonna be okay.

4. You are beautiful! Or handsome--although beautiful isn't strictly a female compliment.

5. You can do it! (Repeat until you find the strength to do it whatever "it" is!- AP.

6. "I also remind myself not to compare myself to others because we are all so different and move at different paces and are in different stages of life ."- AP

7. I am loved.

8. I am important.

9. I am worth waiting for.

10. "This is isn't permanent, it will get better." -Jady C.

11. "It's all good in the hood." -Jady C.

12. "Mistakes are inevitable. Make them, learn from them, and improve ."- Jady C

13. "I am not overreacting. I'm allowed to have feelings. I'm allowed to have these thoughts. "- Jady C.

14. "I'm a bitch but, like, a nice one." -Court S.

15. "I'm freaking awesome."- also Court S.

16. "If ____ doesn't work out then there's something better along the way or just something in general that you're going to learn ." -AP.

17. "I'm a bitch and no one can touch me" going hand in hand with, "Wow I am powerful." -Ena S.

18. "Lol I'm Meghan Stevens," and reminding yourself exactly who you are is something everyone I think really needs to do.

19. "The scale does not define you. It's just a number."- Brittany W.

20. "There's a puppy waiting for you at home." -AP (I do this one but reminding myself about my cats)

21. "You're a fucking badass and you've got this."- Michele G.

22. "U cute." Not "you" but "u".- also Michele G.

23. "You don't need anyone to make you happy."- Brittany W.

24. "That pint of ice cream will not ruin your progress."- also Brittany W.

25. "Go for it!" -Sami L.

26. "Any progress is better than no progress. Life's a marathon, not a sprint."- Brittany W.

27. "Your GPA does not define you."-also Brittany W.

Here are a few I like to remind other people:

28. I'm so glad that I'm alive at the same time as you are.

29. You mean so much to me.

30. You are right where you need to be.

31. Your life is worth living.

32. Your feelings are so valid.

33. I love you. You are important to me. Thank you for being around.

If you're religious (particularly Christian):

34. God is by my side and he'll help me move past this .

35. God gives me people I need.

36. God doesn't give me any challenges that he doesn't think I can't handle.

37. "I tell myself that things have gone wrong are lessons and that God wanted me to learn. That it's better they happened early on in life and that God knows what he's doing with me and where I'm headed."- Erin C.

38. "Instead of looking at things like damn I wish this happened this way or that I just think well this is how God wanted it I'm not gonna fight against it. But really though I'm glad everything happened the way it did"- also Erin C.