One of the biggest plagues for this generation that I have seen is anxiety.

All levels of anxiety from diagnosed and medicated to the nervous jitters before trying new things. This is for good reason, too. We have been blessed with all the conveniences of modern technology and cursed to somehow justify our own unique suffering. This sets us all up for a difficult time dealing with anxiety and its effects on our lives.

I'm writing to those of you who experience anxiety on any level, because while the symptoms and severity may vary, your anxiety is real and justified. I had my first full blown attack when I was in the tenth grade, and it scared the hell out of me. I'd had my heart broken, and the weight of the betrayal rocked my world.

I felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest, but I was completely paralyzed and unable to vocalize what I was feeling. It came at a time in my life when everything felt out of my control, and if I had to guess, I'd say the realization that this too, had been out of my control, triggered something in me. From then on, engaging in new activities, relationships, and friendships would make my heart and mind race, and I always ended up approaching with shaky hands and clenched teeth.

I also developed a very real fear of driving after I had my first wreck. The anxiety would start whenever I was driving somewhere unfamiliar. I would feel panicked, my heart would ache, and I usually ended up clenching the steering wheel so hard my hands hurt. Even today, if I can carpool instead, I will. I feel ridiculous, but I have been blessed with people who understand and will help.

However, I was not okay with living my life that way. When new but important things came up, I would build up the courage and fight the chest pains and pull through. I learned what I could do to clear my mind and stop the shaking. I learned to be okay with the uncertainty around me. I wish I could tell you it gets easier, but really, you just get better. It has been work to get to where I am, and I'm still not where I want to be.

It's okay if you're not ready, but never be content. Never wake up in the morning and look at your anxiety and think: "I can just live with this." Fight the panic and the pain with everything you've got, because being able to function in social settings with ease and being able to calmly drive somewhere new are comforts that we should all get to enjoy.

Nothing is for certain, and life is such a fluid, unpredictable thing. Don't let what you can't control scare you--- let it excite you. Believe in yourself and your ability to grow. We live in a changing world, and sometimes it's difficult to see where we can fit into it. It gets so easy to feel lost, and anxiety does a really good job of making you feel like you're alone in that, but you never are.