People often grow up thinking emotions are nothing but weakness. We've all been told, "You're too young to be upset" or "Don't cry, you have nothing to cry about." But the thing is, if you feel like crying, then cry.

Being vulnerable is beautiful, and numbing your emotions is only a temporary fix. When you are focused on numbing your emotions rather than working through them, you're preventing yourself from living a full and expressive life.

When you let yourself feel emotions, you become more in tune with your body. You'll understand why you feel the way you do and even know what to do about it. The best way to move through painful experiences is to let yourself feel. People can do this however they want. Some common ways include writing, reading, artwork, alone time or talking about it with a trusted individual.

The bottling up of emotions will continue to grow until you burst, and more often than not, it will lead to a mental break down. Trust me, I've been there. Beating yourself up about feeling upset, worried, scared, or anxious will often times make you feel worse.

It can be scary to really expose yourself to the strongest of emotions. Just always remember that everything passes and this feeling will too. After those emotions have come and gone, we've usually learned something about ourselves and now have the ability to overcome it.

The next time you're upset or feeling down, remember that we are all human and we all have emotions. You are not alone. Vulnerability is a strength, and being strong enough to let yourself be vulnerable is something to admire. I remember the first time I was told this, and it truly changed my life. I felt the weight come off my shoulders and I felt like I was floating.

So, always love and embrace who you are, because there is nobody just like you. Self-love is one of the most important things you will ever learn, so love yourself and free how you feel for it will only bring happiness.