Do you ever feel like you are just going through the motions of life? Like your days start to become a repetitive pattern?

As college students, we are easily caught up in worrying about our classes, our jobs, and even our relationships. We put so much energy into these things that we forget to take care of ourselves. I call this pattern "being in front of the camera."

You see when someone is in front of the camera all of the attention is focused on them. That individual becomes the focal point of the picture. They might even put on a fake smile to impress others. Sometimes I feel like I am putting on a fake smile in order to fit a specific standard that makes others happy.

Here's what I want to change. I want to stop worrying about what others think about me. I want to stop being in front of the camera and feel pressured to dress and pose a certain way just because others think that is the "right" way. That's the beautiful thing about life, there is no "right way," this is what makes life so unique. It is perfect in its imperfections.

I want to be behind the camera for once and see beauty from a different perspective. I would rather put on a real smile behind the camera than be in front of one and put on a fake one. You see the moments that I want to capture behind a camera are ones that cannot be taken with a selfie stick. I want to capture raw moments of friends laughing so hard that their faces hurt, of majestic wildflowers and sunsets on a warm afternoon.

I want to take these snapshots and place these moments into my most treasured photo album, which can only be found in the depths of my mind. These are the ones that I want to pull out on a rainy day and cherish. These are the kinds of memories that will eventually be put into writing because a picture is worth a thousand words.

From here on out here is my advice to you, don't worry about what others will say or think about you. Take a look at the people that you hang around, are they spending time with you because they need attention or are they genuinely interested in listening to you? If you feel like they are using you, leave.

Get rid of anything or anyone toxic in your life to make room for happiness. Are you spending time every day in the same place? Change your environment. You get to choose which angle and what time of day to capture these beautiful things from behind the lens.

You are the photographer of your life. It is time for you to decide whether you want to be in front of the camera or step out of your comfort zone and go behind it to capture a bigger picture of this life. You are the photographer and you get one big panoramic shot at life. Make it a good one.