Lately, I have learned to come to terms with the fact that life is going to be hard sometimes, that things are not always going to be easy. A lesson that I'm sure we've all heard our whole lives, but that tends to take a little while for most of us to understand, myself included.

Life is full of twist, turns, and the unexpected, but we must learn to endure. Recently, I've had my fair share of endeavors, but what's important is that I am still here, and that I am making it through. From school, to relationships, to work, to death, there is so much in life that can get us off track, weigh us down, or make us want to give up.

The message I hope to get across is, despite all of this, despite the troubles you may face, despite what people may tell you, or what you may tell yourself, you can do it. You can be successful.

Following recent events in my life, I would like to make clear that I define my own success, that you define your own success, no one else. My success is neither defined by what people tell it can be, nor is it defined by what others tell me it should be. My success is defined by what I make of it.

In life you will find that not everyone is on your side, but it is up to you to rise above what these people say to you, and what these people may say about you. You can do, and be, whatever it is you believe in. One of my favorite quotes, by a personal hero of mine, is, "If you can dream it, you can do it." The man who said these words is the famous Walt Disney, a man whose life was most certainly full of success, and why is it that he was so successful? Because he believed in himself, and he never gave up.

Set your sights on your dreams, on your goals, on your success. You are not defined by the way others choose to label you. I've been told that I'll never make it, that I don't have what it takes to achieve my goals, but I say I have all that I need. I choose to fill my life with positivity, and to surround myself with others who impact my life in a positive manner. To those who choose to doubt me, I say watch me. I am full of greatness, and so are you.

Success is not defined by the claims of others, success is not defined by who your next president will be, success is not defined by a grade point average or the people you know. I choose to believe that I have the power to define my own success, because I do, and so do you.

So when life gets hard, when life seems to be giving you too much, when others are bombarding you with negativity, when you feel like you can't make it and all you want to do is give up, don't, because you define your own success.