First and foremost, being an American means you are a part of the best country on Earth. Even with all of the mass shootings, political feuds, and hatred toward President Trump, you still live in the beautiful country of the red, white, and blue. Not everyone will agree on everything... if we did, we wouldn't be considered humans. We would be robots.

So, why do many Americans blame all our problems on the split between people? Republicans versus Democrats. Blacks versus whites. Straight versus LGBTQ. Pro-gun versus gun control. Pro-choice versus pro-life.

Our differences never seem to end.

Being an American is not about fighting over our differences. It is about embracing our differences and not turning them into anything bigger than they need to be. It is not about playing the victim card because someone said something mean to you. Everyone has said something mean to someone else, and everyone has had something mean said to them.

It's called life.

America was built on equality, but that doesn't mean that everyone gets the exact same card. You still have to work for what you want because not everything is simply given to you. Granted, if you qualify as a person with a disability through the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), that is a whole other story. But, if God gave you the capability to work, that is something you need to do.

This country may be free, but it's not free unless you work for it.

Every person is born with the potential to do something amazing, it doesn't matter if you're born "privileged" or "repressed." It is all about what you do with what you are given, and how hard you work for what you want.

It's as simple as that.

You will encounter obstacles, there will be people who say you can't do something, you will doubt yourself.

It all comes with being an American.