Ariana Grande has had one of the worst years that I can think of, yet she still kept moving. From her Manchester concert opened at gunpoint, her breakup with Mac Miller after a year and a half of dating, receiving backlash for being with Pete Davidson, to losing Mac Miller after he overdosed and then being blamed for his death, to breaking up with Pete Davidson, she was put through the wringer like no other. I look at her, and other people who've had it far worse than I have, and I thank God that I am here and pray that they have a better new year.

I have a habit of complaining about things, even the slightest inconvenience in my life. When I do this, I forget that people have it harder than me, yet they never ask for help or complain - they're just happy to be here. It's easy for me to be humbled because things that I take advantage of, someone, somewhere in this world is wishing to have what I have. Someone wishes that they could have my life right now, but they're sitting around wondering if they'll see their family again; if they can pay the bills for the month; if they can afford to stay in school; if they can just live.

People, every day, live their lives just trying to get by; they think of themselves as a space that when they leave this Earth and go to wherever they believe they are destined for, someone will take over. That's not living; that's existing. While I often say, "I'm just happy to be here." I look at it as a saying, but people are actually happy to be here because they could be somewhere else; somewhere far worse than the hell they "exist" in. There's a saying, "Everybody dies, but nobody lives." I refuse to believe that.

I choose to live. I choose to walk into the new year with my head held high because I have 365-some days to make the best out of my time in my human life and I am going to take them; every opportunity that knocks on my door, I will accept it.

Someone is looking outside and thinking of a better tomorrow, but they're grateful that they were able to live today; I'm thankful for every breath I take, but when I complain, it does become easy to forget the little things like that. Looking back, 2018 was easily the hardest year for me in all of my adolescent life, but I know it was harder for others. Going into the new year, I hope everyone everywhere has a better year filled with love, positivity, and good fortune.