Have you ever given up on moving on to the next day? I remember after my first heartbreak, I found myself sitting in my room with my face shoved in my pillow and a carton of ice cream next to me. I received a text saying, “I never loved you” on my six months with someone I gave my all. I was so hung up on those words and didn’t want to move an inch from my bed. I had it in my mind that I would always be alone no matter what. I shut everyone out and even lost a few friends out of it. I just wanted him to take back his words and act like he never said any of it. I felt like anything I did was going to get me nowhere and it would just be useless. I looked over at that ice cream carton, it was empty and I wasn’t any happier.

Even months later after he crushed my heart; he decided he missed me and missed out on something great. I think that was moment I truly realized I didn’t need someone like that in my life. I looked around at the world around and decided there was no need to hate it. I got up from the sadness that engulfed me and decided to start loving everything around me. I grabbed my favorite sweatshirt, headphones, and put my camera around my neck and decided to go on a walk in the woods by my house. I really tried grasping every inch of nature. I started falling back in love with the world around me. I stopped waiting for someone to text me back saying “I was wrong, I really do love you.” and started loving who I had become.

I fell back in love with the idea of living, the joy of life and what was around me. I didn’t need someone else to tell me everything was going to be okay anymore. I decided I would do something just because I thought it was cool and no other reason. I started patching up those friendships that I destroyed months prior. Sitting by the fire, telling stories, and listening to our favorite bands was more fun than crying over a dumb text.

These changes in my life really gave me a new insight in my life. I loved the world around me and wasn’t in a slump just from waking up. This was the moment where I realized that I could also give my love to someone else. My first heartbreak was caused by someone not giving their all to me. I promised myself the only way I would let someone back into my life was if they gave me back what I gave them. When you have someone who looks past everything you find wrong with yourself, it’s almost as all your problems disappear. The love I did find again was something even better than the ice cream I stuffed my face with months prior.

Although, everyone looks at love as something romantic, I like to focus myself on the love of life. I seek out the joy and passion around me. I try to find something happy about everyday, even if it someone in the hall just smiling at me. I always try to make myself fall back in love with living. Love is one of those things that can’t be depended on someone else. Love yourself, before you love someone else, and enjoy what’s around you and fall in love with the world.