Dear Friend,

Let this be the time to make your amends. Let this be the time for you to not only forgive others, but to forgive yourself. Life can be messy and is often unpredictable. We all act out irrationally from time to time and yes, we all say things in the heat of the moment. Face the fact, the past is the past. I want to strongly encourage you to take a deep breath and accept the fact that there is nothing that can be done. Ask for forgiveness, whether it be from friends, family, God, or anyone else.

Additionally, forgive anyone who has wronged you in the past year. It truly is not worth the mental stress and energy. You are worth so much, despite what you might believe. If you are indeed struggling with a positive thoughts about yourself, know that you are not alone. We all have things we are dealing with in our lives. I can offer a few suggestions that helped me get to a much better place.

I would start with breaking off toxic relationships and putting yourself first. Clear out negative text messages, voicemails, and emails. Get rid of unhealthy followers on all social media, clean up your feeds, and make sure you are surrounding yourself with good and honest people. Another thing that has helped me is putting my health first. Set a constant sleep schedule, eat balanced meals, and take a little bit of every day and set it aside for yourself.

Go into this new year with a clean slate, clear mind, and an open heart. Reach out to loved ones who have grown apart from you and make reconnections with old friends and family. Try something spontaneous and new, you might juts find something out about yourself that you never knew existed.

I want you to know, regardless of not actually knowing you personally, that I do believe in you. I believe in everyone, I still believe in humanity. There might be things going on currently that seem like they are too much to handle. Trust me, you got this! I have been in your shoes, I have had the daunting feelings of hopelessness and frustration. I know it might be one of the hardest things to consider, but you do have this. You will be prevailed in the end and believe me when I tell you that I believe in you.

Overall, I want to wish you all the best as we close 2018 and head into 2019. Make this the year you finally stick to your resolutions. Set your goals, work hard, and achieve them. It takes dedication and concentration, but if we all support each other, we can get it done. I hope you all celebrate the close of this year with loved ones, and if there are no plans currently, I strongly encourage to reach out and plan something. It doesn't have to be big, but no one should be alone. I hope you have a wonderful New Year! Cheers to 2019.

Your friend,

Austin J. Bennett