Throughout my four years of high school, I have experienced numerous life-changing moments that have shaped me into the mature, independent woman I am today. It is clear to me now what the true meaning of “life” is. As a freshman I was so naïve, so innocent and so unaware of the problems surrounding me. Life was simple. Life was actually pretty easy. But as I matured and got older I have come to experience struggle, loss and pain. But with all of these heartaches I have also experienced happy times, moments of laughter and feelings of solace.

As you get older, reality seems to hit you like a train going full speed into the distance. You now have to worry about your job, your loved ones, money and not to mention, your own happiness. But through all of these stresses life has to offer, it’s about going after the things that make you happy; whether it’s a relationship, a hobby or something as simple as going out to your favorite coffee joint in the morning. Doing what you love and loving what you do is often overlooked in today’s society. Not following your dreams because of doubters and promoting being ordinary to fit in is a bunch of crap simple-minded people try to sell you. I believe life is about taking risks, making a fool out of yourself and surrounding yourself with people who love you the most.

Down below I will share five of my favorite philosophies on life I have come to realize throughout my years of maturing.

• Be yourself. As simple as it sounds, most of the time people will change the way they look, they act and they speak in hopes of impressing another person. That is society’s fatal hamartia; conforming to the rest. “We’re all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that’s all” (The Breakfast Club. John Hughes-director). This quote shows how one should not be afraid to be themselves in front of a crowd. One should never feel ashamed or embarrassed to pursue something they love. Everyone has something to offer to this world, ones uniqueness and individuality set him or her apart. I have definitely learned over the years not to care what people think of me, life’s too short to go around trying to impress everyone.
• Go after what you want, no matter how hard the struggle is. Life is often unfair and we do not get to pick what happens to us in our life, but we do get to pick how we react to those circumstances. You can’t always get what you want, but if you fight hard enough you might just get what you need. “The world is not a wish-granting factory” (John Green. The Fault in Our Stars). This quote shows that if you want something in life you have the opportunity to go out and fight for it. Whether it’s a job you really want, a spot on your high school football team, or even fighting for the girl you had a crush on since the 3^rd No matter how difficult it may seem go after it. Go after it and never give up.
• Everything happens for a reason. “I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they’re right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together” (Marilyn Monroe). I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and fate will bring people together if it’s meant to be. Life isn’t always fair but you can’t dwell about the past; you can only move forward. You may lose people in your life that once meant something to you, but it’s to show you who stayed by your side and proved to be their for you when everyone else left. Everyone you come in contact with teaches you a lesson. A lesson that makes you realize something; something that will shape you into a better person. Whether it’s the guy who doesn’t treat you right, that teaches you self worth and how you deserve better. Or not making it on the varsity soccer team, which teaches you persistence and the art of not giving up. Or even the loss of a loved one, which teaches you to appreciate the people in your life and to take nothing for granted. Good things happen to good people and life often changes, but it’s about adapting to that change. Change isn’t always a bad thing.
• Stay positive. This past year has definitely been my hardest year of high school. An emotional roller coaster of good news and depressing setbacks. I struggled to stay positive and often broke down mentally every night. It just seemed like everything was going wrong for me, athletic wise and, especially, college wise. Fracturing my hip in the springtime proved to be bad timing, as I would not heal until over 8 months after the initial injury. Colleges didn’t want to recruit me because of my injury and on top of that I couldn’t even run yet, resulting in sitting out two seasons of important running. I often got down on myself and lost all the confidence I once had. Nothing seemed to be going right for me, but with the love and support of my family, my friends and my coaches I have created a new, more positive outlook on life. I became more appreciative for the things I did have and tried to become more positive, no matter how hard the challenges I faced. After that I started to see positive progression; I could run again, I found an awesome college who believed in my capabilities and most importantly, I have realized what friends were really their for me in my most darkest times. “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light” (Albus Dumbledore. Harry Potter Prisoner of Azkaban). No matter how hard life may seem remember to always stay positive, because tough times don’t’ last, but tough people do. Once you change negative thoughts with positive ones, than you will start to see positive results, I promise you.
• Love hard, takes chances, laugh often and never take yourself too seriously. It’s better to go after the things you love and fail then to never have tried. Life is too short and if you don’t pursue the things that makes you happy than is life even worth living? “It’s better to feel pain, then nothing at all” (“Stubborn Love.” The Lumineers). Love is a funny and confusing word people often misuse in today’s society. Finding love and falling in love are things that people can over think and question too often. As I learned from the past; go with the flow and don’t worry about the future. Live in the moment and be crazy. Love may hurt us from time to time but if you don’t take the chance and put yourself out there than you will miss out on what could have been. It’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. So go out there and make yourself vulnerable. Fight for the people who make you happy and appreciate them being there.