I know you too well. I know you have aspirations that seem beyond your reach. You have dreams that you want to come true more than anything else in the world and you will do EVERYTHING you can in order to make them a reality. To put it plainly, you want so much more than life has already offered you. Sure, you have met some great people along the way and have had some incredible opportunities that you will never get back, but you have this clear picture in your mind of what you want your life to look like. If this clear picture doesn't show up, you will be devastated.

Clearly, your perfect life will not be easy to obtain. It is all about choices. The choices you make are the map to your X marks the spot. AKA, your picture. You have friends and family who seem to have everything figured out-- even if they have only been on this earth for a measly 20 years. They know what career they are pursuing and how they are going to do it, they have found the love of their life, they may even know what they want to name their children. They have found their X. That. Is. Okay.

Choose to let their pictures drive you to create yours. Be inspired by your friends and family, push yourself to achieve your dreams. But, NEVER settle for anything less than what you know your life is meant for. Here are 4 Fierce Ways to Stay Committed to Independence:

1. Make a list of all the important things you want to do in life. Each time you accomplish one, be sure to cross it off the list. Trust me.

2. Self-love is the best love. Put yourself first. Say the infamous "No" every once in a while, if you need to. Take a hiatus from toxic people and/or situations that you seem to get caught in ALL THE TIME. To start, try staying off of social media for a day...or forever.

3. Surround yourself with people who love the REAL you. You are not perfect and you make mistakes. YOU ARE HUMAN. The people who choose to not see past a couple mistakes you have made are not even worth your breath. There are better people out there who are craving the opportunity to meet you. Do not miss out on those people.

4. Do not go looking for love. If it finds you, you will know. And your partner will support you in achieving your dreams. But if the relationship ends up compromising your initial end goal, try not to get too invested. It is fair to think that if you meet that special someone, it may change your end goal entirely. Do NOT panic. Again, it just all depends on what is the most important to you. Just take your time, breathe, and talk it out.

Creating relationships, friendships, plans...they all lead up to the creation of YOUR picture. Remember that it is no one else's. It is unique to you. So, wait for the someone whose picture fits with yours, the people who want to appear on the canvas, and the situations that match what you have had in mind for your whole life.

Trust your instincts and go for it.