This isn't some speech on how I treat myself every day with a venti beverage from Starbucks and new clothes. Believe it or not, there's another way to live your best life; a happier life, so to speak.

I think in order to fully achieve your potential and live your happiest life; you have to hit rock bottom. Rock bottom means many different things for different people. It could mean having your heart broken, it could mean losing your job, or even disconnecting from friends. For some, there are different levels of a rock bottom.

I live a very privileged life. I go to a four-year university, I have the best boyfriend, I'm employed, and I have amazing family and friends. But when I think over the course of the past year; I've stumbled between some low points. Quite frankly, it doesn't matter what a person looks like from the outside, because the thoughts that are radiating through their heads can be very different than what it seems. Because there aren't criteria for what you're allowed to feel.

"You're just a kid, you don't know what real struggles are."

Okay and maybe that's true, but who are you to say that what I'm feeling doesn't hurt?

And if I'm being honest, when I think over the course of the past year, between having my heart broken over the friends I thought I'd have for life and losing sleep about money; it sucks.

But, like always, I'll figure it out.

And I do.

Every single time, I have figured it out.

Isn't it amazing? All the bad days you thought you couldn't handle, all of the tasks you dreaded, the headaches of the bills on the table; you've figured it out. You did it. Everything truly falls into place after a while. You have to go through the storm to see the sunshine.

And after a while, you realize that everything happens for a reason.

You weren't meant to have those friends forever. It's not a matter of getting rid of the "toxicity" in your life because they weren't "toxic friends". You were best friends at one point in time, and you both enjoyed every second that was spent together. They were put in your life to teach you lessons, and while you can always cherish the memories, there comes a time where you need to healthily close that chapter of your life and dig deep into today.

Financially, you learned how to make ends meet and figured it out. Was it a struggle? Absolutely. Sure, it was Cinnamon Toast Crunch for dinner a few nights in a row but you made it out of there.

In order to start living your happiest life, you have to BE POSITIVE. Pessimism gets you nowhere in the world and it's just plain ugly. Positivity is truly contagious, and you won't believe how much good it will actually do for you.

Start each day with a smile. Wake up in the morning and think, "it's a great day." A positive mindset is so unbelievably life-changing. Make a good day start off with an even better mood, because if you're getting straight out of bed in the morning and the first thought you think of is negative, well guess what? You're definitely going to have a bad day. Think about your mindset when you first wake up in the morning; it'll definitely have an impact on the rest of your entire day.

I think there comes a point in everybody's world where you realize truly how much everything happens for a reason. And sometimes, while it may seem like the end of the world, it really isn't. Every cloud has a silver lining.

It's time to live your best life.