As an eighteen-year-old in this day and age, it can be very easy to get sucked into the vicious trap of comparing myself to others on social media. It is inescapable; between Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and Facebook, we are surrounded by the lives of other people, and we see the good, the bad, and everything in between.

It is so easy to be caught in the cycle of checking up on other people and seeing their successes and sometimes begin to feel like we lack in certain avenues of our own lives. At times, I have felt lonely, or disconnected when I see other people enjoying themselves and feel that emptiness and start to feel that I am missing out.

It has taken me years to realize that I am missing out.. on my own life. When we waste our time comparing our situation to our acquaintances' we miss out all of the incredible things that our own life has to offer. In the past several months, I have begun to embrace who I am, and what types of people I value. To shake that feeling of loneliness, it takes effort, time, and requires you to take an initiative. Yes, it can require you to step out of your comfort zone, but it is something you will not regret. Ever since I have changed my mindset, I have found a happiness that I never realized could come from within myself.

We live in a society that advocates that true love is found in another human being, but at my ripe old age of eighteen, I realize that the truest love of all is when you choose to love the situation you are in. Love takes shape of whatever environment it is in. It does not falter. It does not fail. Because ultimately, you are in charge of your own perspective on your life.

When you focus on falling in love with your own life, your perspective changes. After several moments of reflection, it dawned on me that I have never felt more content with my situation before, and I realized that my optimism has started when I consciously chose to seek happiness in my life. All of a sudden, the world is a seemingly brighter place; I know this is completely attributed to my new outlook on my life.

I choose to find people who value me for my intelligence and personality.
I choose to start each day with a positive attitude.
I choose to make an effort to reach out to people I miss hearing from.
I choose to love my appearance and take pride in how I look.
I choose to talk to people that can hold conversations that go beyond the surface.
I choose to become the best version of myself.

But most of all, I choose to love my life. Each and every day.