Too often, people underestimate themselves. They don’t realize the amount of power they actually have. One person has the opportunity to change another person’s entire life. Some people fully believe that it takes a village to get things done, but I disagree.

I think it all goes back to us not trusting ourselves enough. Granted, we are human and we make mistakes...often! But that’s not a reason to not trust ourselves. I am a firm believer that the majority of the time, people aren't giving themselves enough credit. It's hard to wake up everyday and handle our business. I know sometimes when my alarm goes off in the morning I run through any and every possible excuse for skipping class and staying in bed to watch Netflix and eat Oreos instead. Alas, my conscience kicks in and I drag my ass out of bed. It’s important that we start acknowledging the power we obtain and utilize it. We all have the chance to make someone else’s day brighter in one way or another, so why aren’t we doing that? The answer is that we’re scared. We refuse to believe it too. We convince ourselves that “we don’t matter” and it’s nearly impossible for us to make a difference because “we’re just one person”. We have to stop telling ourselves that. It all starts with our mindset.

To put things into context, I’ll tell you a story.

When I went through the recruitment process to join a sorority my freshman year of college, one of the first events we went to was called Open House. It’s essentially a way to get a little taste of Greek life before official recruitment begins. You talk to one member of each sorority for three minutes until you’ve spoken to every house. The first sorority I spoke to, was the one I ended up in. Three minutes with one woman changed my life. No, I’m not kidding. In those three minutes, I developed a HUGE crush on a group of people who I now get to call my sisters. A year and a half later, I am so in love with my home. If it had not been for those three wonderful minutes, a lot could be different today.

I realize you may be thinking that I’m as dramatic as a soap opera after reading that story, but oh well. That is my truth and I am not ashamed of it. Those three little minutes helped me find my forever home. That’s why I encourage you to never underestimate yourself. You hold a great deal of power within you and I hope you do a lot of good with it. Not only can you change someone else’s life, but you can change your own. You’re never stuck where you are. Whether it's about something as simple and minuscule as what to order for dinner, or as important as where to go to college, trust yourself. Dig down deep and admit what you want. This is YOUR life and you are entitled to living it YOUR way.