2016: a year we can all claim to be over for the better.

In 2016, we lost Alan Rickman, Prince, innocent civilians in terrible attacks all around the world, Muhammad Ali, John Glenn, crowds of people who didn't deserve to lose their lives, Andrei Karlov, Harper Lee, Carrie Fisher, and more. Contrastingly though, there were many positives to counterbalance the heart-wrenching negatives. I promise. You see, the Leicester City football club won the Premier League, the world's longest rail tunnel in Switzerland was revealed, the first solar powered plane completed a trip, Hillary Clinton showed the world that women are truly capable of achieving anything, and the Chicago Cubs made each fan proud to say the least as they won for the first time in 108 years. How inspiring is the latter!

Despite the United Kingdom voting to leave the European Union and Trump's win, 2016 was inspirational in that it was a year of learning lessons: lessons of acceptance, hopefulness, and ultimate positivity. We all know that the world is corrupted, but we also all know that it only takes one person to make a positive change. With this in mind, we all learned that there is nothing more powerful than unity. For instance, we all stuck together as a community when terrorists killed 35 individuals in the Brussels subway and airport because we knew that together we could overcome hatred. Our hearts ached, but we remained fearless. It was a tough year as we begin to focus on the aspects that shocked us all, but it only continued our movement to change the statistic rather than to become one. As mentioned in a previous article and Buzzfeed's Eugene Lee Yang, mass shootings were prominent in 2016, but it was our time to change that.

What we need to take from this year is this:

2017 is a year of fulfilling broken dreams and lost hope. It's a year of taking chances in personal relationships and learning that people can change within weeks, months, and years. It's also a year we all need to learn that there is nothing wrong with selfishness when it comes to the pertaining apsects. What I mean by this, is that every relationship requires a sacrifice of doing things you both love, of both sides making an effort, and both sides giving up small aspects to make room for the bigger journey ahead. In fact, a true friend lifts you up in all situations and because of this, we are able to keep going on our hardest days. A true friend doesn't let you sacrifice a small aspect that is a stepping stone to a goal you've had since you were little. No matter how big or small the goal, one who cares will look at what's best for not only them, but for you as well. Hold onto that.

2017 is the year we stop comparing those in front of you to those who aren't there. We all have this inkling of the past haunting us when we least expect it to. Maybe not all of us, but many of us. There are memories we wish we could forget, but sometimes that's easier said than done because we realize that this time last year, everything was different. We were surrounded by different people, we felt broken by different circumstances, and we begin to heal during a time we can't get back.

I learned that there is nothing more powerful than an individual who strives to be better without having the need to put other people down. I also learned that it really is hard to focus on yourself with the distractions brought on by the outside world present on the computer screen. Yes, emails allow for communication and Google allows you to search for something in 2 seconds, but the time with the people physically in front of you is so limited - Gmail can wait, the most important people in your life cannot. Of course, they'll be there for you during the toughest times, but the moments with them are so precious. I really learned this when I lost people. I've lost people who were important to me without realizing it. I lost them because of each text I sent while he/she was in the room. I forgot to look up to what was actually in front of me and in a flash, they were gone. I couldn't catch them in time because we had lost touch. I relied on what everyone else was doing instead of focusing on what I was doing. It sounds almost unreal, but I had lost them because I was looking everywhere, except for right in front of me. Each key on my phone had chained me and I needed to change that.

Time heals almost all problems I promise, but the hardest thing is the beginning. You see, it's hardest to watch rain wash away the sea at its first drops, it's hardest to start studying during the first 15 minutes, it's hardest to erase a memory that comes with a particular song as the first beat plays out, it's hardest to write the first draft of a personal story, and it's always hardest to go on the next day when you lose someone/something so important to you.

But, here's the thing though, the rain prepares way for new crops and new beginnings, the first 15 minutes allow for a sense of motivation that wasn't present before, the song becomes a reminder of how far you've come, the first draft presents an idea that wasn't thought of before, and the next day presents another sun rise that brings about a new hope.

2017 will be my year, your year, and our year. It's a mindset that will prevail. Cheers and Happy New Years to all!