It's easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle that we call life and whether we're drowning in homework or studying it's always important to remember that life is short.

I used to be someone infamous for putting things off and the feeling of being in a constant slump with life seemed to radiate through me every day, but one day I woke up and got out of it. That's all it took. That one day, that one step towards constant motivation for myself and my future changed how I perceived my life. It's a difficult move to make, but once you've done it once, you can never go back.

Life is hard. Let's be honest, sometimes it seems as though getting out of bed is the most strenuous task one could ever perform. But watching teenagers around me live their lives and see how they operate on a day to day basis gave me the reality check I needed. It made me realize that I don't want to be like them. It's not all about parties, it's not all about drinking every weekend or figuring out what everyone was doing next weekend, or who was going where on Friday night, it's about surrounding yourself with people who love to have fun and watch movies with you. It's about playing twister or going camping instead of playing beer pong and sleeping with god knows who. At some point, everyone will realize that life's about being adventurous and taking risks, but in the right way, not in a way that'll leave you in jail or pregnant.

I figured out where my priorities lie, and that's with college, and school and deciding what kind of person I strive to be, rather than worry about stupid high school parties and believe it or not, it's pretty peaceful out here in my "worry free zone". Although it can be difficult for some to go against what their friend group is doing, people need to learn that it's not about everyone else, in the end you only have yourself, you can't control what everyone else is doing but you sure as heck are in control of yourself.

So I learned to cherish every moment I have here on God's good ole green earth. I learned to be thankful that I have parents that care about my education, and to be thankful that I have friends who care more about me than where they can buy alcohol from and I couldn't be more satisfied with that.