Dear Younger Self,

Life is hard and you are slowly learning that. Not everything is so easy or simple. Life is hitting you like a punch in the face, although you're denying that. You're having mostly good days, but some bad ones-- and those bad ones feel like the end of the world. You don't know if you'll be able to handle it all, but trust me, you'll learn how to. You'll learn how to focus on putting your happiness first. You'll learn how to ignore the rude comments. You'll learn how to smile even when life isn't the best. You'll learn how to be bright even when everything around you seems dark.

People are mean and you don't have the best self esteem. That combination does not really work well together, you know that. But I can guarantee you, you'll eventually have wonderful self esteem and you will love yourself for it. Let go of the people who are holding you back; they are just keeping you at a plateau. Although I am saying this, do not regret the times you spent with them. Be sure, though, to keep the people who inspire you and motivate you near. They will keep you going when things get difficult. You will learn how to put yourself first, and you will learn how to get rid of the people in your life who aren't helping. You will learn how to not care about what others think. And you will learn that you need to stand up for yourself.

Try not to become too overwhelmed with schoolwork. Remember that your mental (and physical) health comes first. If you have an hour's worth of homework in all six of your classes but you're exhausted to the point of tears, go to bed. Your body will thank you. If you get to school and hear you have a quiz in AP US History that you had no idea about, try not to stress out about it. You won't get an A on every quiz or test and you won't always have straight A's. But one day, you'll realize that that's okay.

Don't worry about wearing makeup every single day. You need to let your skin breathe-- you look perfectly fine without all of that foundation and eyeliner anyway. Also, stop reaching for that straightener or curling iron everyday too. You're killing your already-over-bleached hair. You'll finally realize these things aren't necessary and you'll learn how to love yourself with your natural, messy hair and clean face. Speaking of hair, do your best to stop changing it every time something traumatic happens. (Spoiler alert: You'll go through about seven different hair colors in one year.)

When you feel like everything is crashing down at once on you, don't be afraid to reach out to someone. Tell someone how you feel; I promise you so many people in your life care. They won't think of you as a burden just because you need to talk about your feelings. However, be wary of who you tell. You will learn this the hard way.

Remember to stay healthy. Try to surround yourself with positive people who keep you happy. Don't stress yourself out too much. Remember not to fall asleep with your makeup on. Stop comparing yourself to others. Don't regret any decisions. Cry if you need to cry; don't hold feelings in. Don't be afraid to speak up. Tell people your opinion with your head up. Argue back. Put your foot down. Go with your gut feeling. Trust yourself. And I cannot stress this enough: keep working on learning to love yourself. You won't regret it, trust me.