For as long as I can remember, I have always been the person that "had to have the last word." I always had to have the last jab and I could never walk away from an argument without that. But slowly, I have begun to realize that this behavior is toxic, it drains you, and it prevents you from living a fulfilling life.

I used to be the type of person that wanted everyone to like me; I cared SO much about what people thought of me. But I've learned that I'm not going to be everyone's cup of tea and I cannot force people to like the person I am. In the end, I am confident in who I am and who I am becoming, perhaps that's more important. I have learned that it takes so much energy trying to win peoples approval and it fills you with nothing but emptiness.

It was a long hard lesson to learn, but I have discovered that not reacting to every situation that upsets me does not necessarily mean that I am okay with how things happened, it just means that I am choosing to take the high road and rise above it. By making this choice, it prevents me from giving another person power over my emotions. We will never be able to control what another person chooses to do or say, but we can control how we respond, how we handle the problem, and how much we take personally. In most cases, these situations say little about you and a lot about them.

I have always been a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, every hard lesson serves a purpose in your life and you have two options: either let it define you or learn from it.

If you choose to react to a situation, think about what it will change. Will it change anything? Sometimes, it is better to just let things be, let people go, don't fight for closure, don't ask for any explanations, don't run after answers, and lastly don't expect people to understand.