As each year comes to a close and a new beginning approaches, we tend to reflect on the year that has passed. I have seen so many posts about how much 2016 sucked and how people couldn’t wait for it to be over. Although there were some bad parts of 2016, the good outweighed the bad in my life. I think about the person I was this time last year and my life was in shambles. Nothing was going right, my fall semester at school wasn’t what I wanted, I was fighting with my best friend, I wasn’t happy. But this year has been my favorite thus far. 2016 was good for me, it brought me so many good things.

When I think about 2016 and what it has brought me, the first thing that comes to mind is happiness. I’m living my best life right now and that is because I’m finally happy. I’ve learned so much in the past twelve months and I can’t even recognize the person I was last year.

One of the biggest lessons learned in 2016 was learning to surround myself with the right people for me. They say that you are who you surround yourself with and I never really gave that much thought. I gave my friends excuses for their behavior. If they didn’t reciprocate the friendship that I did, I let it go or made up some reason for their actions to be validated. I might have a smaller friend circle this time around, but a smaller circle filled with amazing people is better than a big circle filled with mediocre friends.

This stems from me realizing and going after what I deserve. Once I realized that I have the ability to pick and choose who I allow in my life, and only allow quality people in my life, everything changed. Being in control of my life is the greatest feeling. It gives me peace of mind knowing that I don’t have to worry about my friends’ actions or if they might cross me. The people I have in my life now would never do that to me.

The absolute best part about 2016 was the unexpected arrival of a very special person who has changed my life in ways that I can’t even describe. I’ve written about her a lot but the impact she’s had on me is incredible. I have 2016 to thank for that.

Overall, 2016 was such a good learning year. I’ve learned to put myself first, make myself happy, how to live my best life, and I learned who I really am. And I love it. I hope it all continues in the new year. Here’s to 2017!