2018 was a really, really great year. It was also a really, really terrible year for a lot of people.

From celebrity deaths to some of the most monumental disasters of all mankind, 2018 took all of us on a roller coaster of emotions. So it's easy to say that 2018 made a lot of us very cynical about a lot of things and a lot of people. It's clouded our thoughts with negativity and decreasing hope for all of mankind.

On a personal level, 2018 took me through some ups and downs. But even at my lowest points, I never gave up. I persevered through even the toughest situations. And with that, came an immense amount of growth.

Personal growth is one of the major virtues I've picked up on throughout this year. I've been through a LOT to get to where I am today, and I don't like to forget it, because what's growth without making mistakes or taking risks?

Like Hannah Montana says, "everybody makes mistakes, everybody has those days". The one thing my parents taught me about making mistakes is that we all make mistakes, but what matters is that we learn from them. That is something I carried on even to this day, and it's guided me through some crazy situations.

I think Ariana Grande says it best about growing from the pain and the bullsh*t in life. You can cry and grieve, but you can't be sad forever; you have to get up, say "thank u, next" to the negativity and the bullsh*t and keep it moving. If you go into the next year with the same negative energy, there is no way you're going to be able to grow.

The whole point I'm making with this article is: A lot of bad things happened and are leaving us with negative feelings, but it's important to remember the good parts, too, and bring in positivity in 2019.