You better brace yourself, because here it comes and it doesn't have to be hard.

So you’re sitting at the dinner table and the same racist rhetoric gets spewed out of your family’s mouths, you’ve heard it before. The ignorance, the sexism, and the biases; you’ve never known any better but something is different about it this time. This time you reply with an intelligent comment, you say “that’s not funny”, and you surprise them with where your education has brought you. This is what it’s like to grow out of a mind that leaves constraints. This is what it’s like to embrace a mature mind.

So you’re sitting in class and you find yourself five minutes early with your notes out and reflecting on a lesson. This semester you have no desire to sit in the back of the lecture and groan about class being a waste of your time. If fact, this year you've decided you don't want to waste any time, or money for that matter to just sit there and scroll through your timeline. You like what you’re studying and you are excited to excel. You picture moving on to the next step, and are willing to get serious about it. This is what it’s like to be driven and centered.

So you’re sitting at your meeting, one in which you serve an elected position. You give your feedback, help those around you, and sometimes lead the discussion. These things become less scary to you every day; you don’t shy away from it- it's the right time to get to know your comforts and your strengths. Positions and opportunities of this kind guide you towards where you will find yourself in a post-grad scenario.

So you’re making weekend plans with a group of people. You find yourself longing for the way to express your desire to get closer to the ones you like, create friendships and bonds, and most importantly take care of yourself. There’s something absent about the nights of getting trashed with those you don’t really know. Let that inner desire speak and make those connections, feel sound in surrounding yourself with ones that love and care about you. You are beginning to understand the complications leaving those who don’t behind, don’t fear embracing that.

You compliment yourself on your ability to buy and make a meal for the evening; you keep your health in mind and listen to what your body is saying to you. This is one of the most important relationships that you can keep with no bounds.

You know that even the smallest of victories are important. This is maturity, this is growing. The mindless, pesky, little issues of immaturity will leave you, you're in control of this life and prosperity lies ahead. Get to know the real you, get the know the grown you.