Dear Me,

Let's just take a minute to appreciate that you're here right now. Look at how far you've come. That's so amazing! Who would have thought that you could have gotten this far? Not you, that's for sure.

I've been reading a lot of "a letter to--" posts and it got me thinking: why doesn't anyone ever write a letter to themselves? I understand it may seem a little silly, but sometimes you just need that little pick-me-up, especially from yourself.

I know that I'm a very insecure person. I don't take compliments well and I brush off any good comments made in our direction. Most of the time it's because I don't see them as true, even if it's blatantly obvious that it is. I need to stop that. Let's try just accepting two compliments every day instead of rolling my eyes and brushing it off. It'll be good for me, right?

Don't let other people get you down. You have to remind yourself that you're a beautiful person. It doesn't matter if you're a size two or a size 22. You are beautiful, and no insecure, hormone-crazed boy or stuck up, prissy girl will ever make you feel otherwise. I know that it'll hurt a bit. Not everyone is going to like you and that's fine. You don't have to please everyone and you'll kill yourself if you try. You may not be everyone's cup of tea, so if you're not, you better make yourself their shot of whiskey.

Love... oh yes, I'm touching this subject. Don't stress it. Love is a wonderful thing that should be enjoyed. Sometimes it doesn't always work out, and that's okay, too. Whether you're in a relationship for three months or three years, you should always treat it the same way. You need to appreciate who you're with, even if they do get on your nerves. I mean, come on, you picked them for a reason. Always try your hardest in your relationships, but don't stay too bummed if things don't work out. That's just how life works.

Stop being scared of making friends!!!!! Yes, I did need that many exclamation points. You try to stay secluded and rely on only a few close friends. That's not a bad thing, not in the least. But you can't be afraid to go out and try to make more. You'll get to experience more, have more fun, and have great memories to carry with you forever. Friendships may not last forever but the memories from them do. Isn't that worth trying?

And call your family more! I'm sure they miss you. Make sure you remind them how much you appreciate all of the little things that they do for you. Family has always been important to you and they're great to be around when you're stressed. Don't forget to spend more time with them.

Smile more. Laugh more. Stop being so negative all of the time. Life sucks sometimes, and there's not a whole lot you can do about that. You just have to push through and move on. Things will get better. They always do.

But most importantly, don't be afraid to just be yourself. You are your own person. You don't have to answer to anyone but yourself. Remember that. So on a day when you're feeling down, just go back and read through this letter again. It'll make you feel better, I promise. Would I lie to you?