Being 20 years old, I guess there have been moments where I truly do believe I have seen it all. The average life expectancy for Americans in 2011 was 78.7 years. So, multiply my 20 years by three and some change, and matter of the fact is, I have a lot left to see.

The point is, I've had a lot of room for error. I've also had a lot of room for success. I've accomplished both. However, no matter what, my failures are always brought to light. At least, it sure feels that way.

I guess part of being human is that we allow our mishaps to define us. Most of the time, others seem to have more power in our lives than we do. This, my friends, is where we are mistaken. We are the directors of our own lives, and we are free to grow in our own time.

Your success is not defined by other people's success. Your grades and your mistakes are not a reflection of who you are. Just because you don't live the way someone you look up to lives DOES NOT MAKE YOU WRONG. It makes you different. There can be similar goals, but a multitude of different executions in order to reach said goals. This one took me a while to grasp.

I feel as if sometimes we take five steps forward and ten steps back.

Again, this is in our head. This is the weight of a setback, and this mindset has no power over you. Think to yourself: Am I a better me than I was yesterday? If you answer yes to this question, I call that progress.

At the end of the day, no one knows you better than you. Take care of yourself, and make your words and actions matter.