"Maybe God wanted us to meet a few 

wrong people before meeting the right one, 

so that when we finally meet the person, 

we will know how to be grateful."

Everything happens for a reason. I have heard and said that phrase this year more than ever. Everyone goes through hard things and sometimes you just have to step back and realize that right now it may seem like you are going through the hardest thing in the world, but it will be okay. Some things last longer than others and some things hurt more than you could ever imagine. But no matter what it is you are going through, it will end. That is one thing I can guarantee. We all have big dreams and ideas of how our lives will play out. And that is fine. Dream. But when things don't go the way you are expecting them to, don't freak out. God knows what He is doing. Sometimes you just need to give it up to Him and know that He will lead you exactly where you need to go. He puts people in your life that you think will last a lifetime, and some that actually will last a lifetime. But no matter who the person is or how long they are in your life for, they were there for a reason. Even if it was just so you can realize that you don't need them. Just put your life in God's hands and everything will work out. He sees the whole picture. We can barely see a little corner of the picture. Sometimes you just want to give up because it seems like nothing is getting better and that all the times you sit there and are patient aren't paying off. But it all works out in the end. And when you step back and look at how far you have come, you will realize that He really did know what he was doing and you couldn't be happier in the place you are right now. And all of those trials you had to go through, actually made you a stronger person. They are part of who you are. Every problem and hard thing you have to go through, is just a little piece of the puzzle that creates you. So just be patient. Everything happens for a reason.

Some simple advice.

Don't worry. 

Be happy.

2010....

I learned a few things in the past year. Sometimes you learn things the hard way, sometimes the easy way, the cool way, and occasionally, you learn things through pure stupidity. You learn things from other people and you learn things yourself. The more you learn, the better…usually. Before you go and try to make all these resolutions for the New Year, why not take a moment and think back on everything you learned in 2010...

I learned that church at 9:00 in the morning is really really hard. No matter how early you go to bed on Saturday night. And let’s be honest. It’s Saturday night. I’m not going to bed early.

I also learned a few other things.

Like that the people you hang out with, really do have an impact on your life. The more you are with them, the more you both will pick up on each other’s habits.

Time flies. Even when you aren’t having fun.

The more you read the scriptures, the happier you are. Because in reality, you can’t be happy without God in your life.

You always have something to be grateful for.

Don’t ever take having a car for granted.

Patience really is a virtue.

You don’t have to always like what your best friend wears. Especially if you want to dress up as her for Halloween.

People aren’t always who you think they are. They can still surprise you.

Hard work pays off.
 Even though you ask for a pair of Nikes every day, it still is the best surprise in the whole wide world when you open up a box on Christmas morning with two pairs for you and your sister.

Some people don’t think of the greatest dance song on earth when you ask them to play “Swing”.

Crazy things happen. And when those things do happen, it is totally acceptable to burst into your best friend’s classroom and share the news with her.

Hating someone doesn’t do anything to them. It just makes your life worse.

You might not always have tomorrow. So you should always live for today.

Sometimes the person who you think is nothing like you, can end up being your very best friend.

Staying up all night is not as cool as it sounds.

No matter how many times you mess up, your parents will always love you.

You can say whatever you want with your tongue, but you’re actions will always show what you really mean.

You can only live once. So live it up with no regrets.

The best thing you can do for someone is write them a letter. And if you want to do the absolute greatest thing, get letters from everyone who they love and compile it all into a book.

Some songs never get old.

Life is most definitely not easy. But the curveballs are what make it interesting.

Everything happens for a reason. Even if it totally sucks at the moment, it really does get better.