In today's technologically advanced day and age, it's hard not to get wrapped up in social media, and our peers' lives are pretty much broadcasted for the world to see. I feel like it's become very hard for us as a society to sit back and enjoy the little things in life, especially things that don't revolve around work or school or material items. While work and school are important, it's also important to be able to break away from life's daily stressors and just enjoy the simple things.

As I sit here on a beach writing this article, I'm feeling so thankful to live in such a beautiful place in such a beautiful world. That's not to say there aren't tragedies that are happening around us everyday, because the world can be really scary at times, as we've recently seen. I think these tragedies emphasize the fact that we need to appreciate the little things in life that we often take for granted. Life is honestly just way too short, so it's really important to just stop and appreciate the people and places around you instead of focusing on a new pair of shoes or something material as your main source of happiness. It's so much more than even that though. In my opinion, a beautiful sunny day is enough to get me out of a funk and it's completely free.

Have you ever been with a group of friends somewhere and an overwhelming amount of gratitude and joy has come over you? Everything feels right in the world and you're just so happy to be at that place at that time with the people you love. I sure have, and those times just relaxing and enjoying time with friends and family are so important and special. Don't get me wrong, I love fashion and shopping just as much as any other college girl, but at the end of the day those things don't bring me nearly as much happiness as good company or a good beach day does.

Living in South Florida, I've seen so many friends move here or to Miami and completely change. There's so much extravagance and money down here and I've witnessed close friends completely lose who they are in order to be a part of that world. When they come to me for advice, I simply just tell them to stop being so preoccupied with unimportant things and to just put things in perspective -- there are so many little ways to find satisfaction and happiness in life.

Life gets hectic, I know. It's very easy to get caught up in things that seem like they're the end of the world. Just try to take some time to sit back and be thankful for the little things -- a good song, a beach day, a dinner with friends. Those are the things you'll remember forever.