At one point or another, you may have wondered who you are or what your purpose is in this life. We often call this "soul-searching," and as sweet as it sounds, it's not what you should be doing. For a few minutes, as your eyes go from left to right, clear your mind and read carefully with an open heart.

You are beautiful.

You are talented.

You are in control of who you want to be.

….When you wake-up and choose yourself. And that's the difference between "soul-searching" and "getting lost in your soul."

Instead of looking out for what suits you, start looking within and you'll find all the answers to your questions (even the ones you didn't know you had). Sometimes, in the world we live in, it's difficult to discover ourselves without the influence of others. So why is this important?

For me, it's because I refuse to live a life someone else wants for me. However, just like everyone else I had to learn this on my own. It wasn't until I separated myself from everything and everyone did I understand who I was and what kind of person I wanted to be.

I've always had a spontaneous way of living and combined with an extreme desire for traveling, I ended up in Italy for a few months studying abroad. So, there I was as a 19-year-old college student sitting on a plane surrounded by strangers who quickly became life-long friends in a foreign country which turned into "home."

During the first few weeks, I tried keeping up with my life and those I left back in the states. It became more and more difficult and exhausting as I tried to live in two different time zones. But then, one beautiful afternoon walking through the marble streets of Verona, I became conscious that I wasn't fully indulging in the adventures in front of me. And in that moment, I thought to myself two important things that would carry me throughout the rest of my time abroad: 1) my life will be waiting for me when I get back, so why am I worrying? 2) I have a limited amount of time to make the most out of this experience for which there is no certainty I will have again. So, what are you going to do?

So, I did it. I cut everything off. I chose adventure. I chose my backpack, a few strangers and myself. I stood in the middle of the Swiss Alps, alone. I listened to my soul as it begged for attention. I explored and fell in love with every piece of my being. I set myself free.

And ever since then, there's been no going back.

My hope for you is to embrace who you are and simply love every part of it. Get lost in your soul. Set yourself free. You deserve it.

Climb a tree or have a Netflix marathon (and pretend you haven't already done a few). Go on a road trip to a random city or take an art class. Spend your Sunday afternoon by the river, or knit yourself a sweater.

Say yes more often. Challenge yourself in ways you've never imagined. You are different, and your soul deserves to be heard. In whatever way, find yourself.

The results? Happiness.

Carry yourself fearlessly, and love yourself.... whoever that is.