Sometimes life throws us curve balls, however, it is our job to grasp them and take back the momentum. There is not a singular, ultimate answer to becoming your best self with all that could, should, or would have happened in one's lifetime on this unbelievable and incredible planet. Nevertheless, we can assuredly discover the best methods with what we know to be true. Personally, I find that balance plays a profound role in finding acceptance and happiness with oneself. I believe that having the ability to balance your academic goals with social goals, health goals and personal goals (etc) is the key to feeling fulfilled at any age. Even if you are forced to do taxes, APA formatted research papers, or confrontations that you may want to desperately avoid, the absolute best solution is to just do them! For some odd reason our brains trick us into thinking that these tasks will never get done because we fear them so much, but the truth is that we can! This game that we play with ourselves is so unnecessary, and once you are able to override that voice of doubt, you will be able to stand up with confidence and motivation once more. Plus, once you complete that certain task, you will leave an abundance of room to escort yourself into pursuing what you love.

Equally important, I feel that society puts on this insane amount of pressure to have this "perfect body" or reach "this score" on a standardized test or to be at "this point" at a certain age. Can we, as a universal unit, finally understand how irrelevant standards are? Standards are expectations set by people, and just as people constantly come and go, so do these standards! Did you know that in ancient Chinese and European civilizations women with more curves and body mass were considered more valuable than those with less body mass? This is because, in that time, heavy men and women represented wealth and power because they could afford more food and less labor...HOW THE TABLES HAVE TURNED! Meanwhile, in a profuse number of ancient civilizations, the more wives a man "owned", the nobler the man must have been. Now, if you are caught with a woman or man other than your spouse, you are shunned and blacklisted by your spouse and community.

What I am trying to say is that as long as you keep to your morals and treat everybody, including yourself, with love, compassion, and understanding, you can throw standards out the window (No matter what, definitely don't cheat on your partner!) Obviously, if you want to earn your dream job or get into your dream college, you have to achieve a certain set of standards, and that's a totally positive situation, as long as you aren't getting angry or deprecating yourself along the way. The same goes for becoming more fit or better at your favorite hobby. You can progressively work to complete small, specific goals each day, and watch as you achieve those goals and blossom into your own kind of beautiful, not anyone else's.

Moreover, if negative incidents that are out of your control are thrown your way, don't let them steer you into a ditch. Instead, sit down, and write out (or if you are more "technically efficient", then record) all of the possible solutions and pick the most beneficial solution. Never be hesitant to ask for help from a trusted family member or friend (or even an organization) because the people who truly care about you will always be there to weigh out your options. In the case that the circumstance calls for a fast action, go with your instincts and hope for the best, for you can only control so much, and you must leave the rest in the hands of the universe. It may take a little time, but I believe it is so valuable to start developing this trust with the universe knowing that positive energy is inevitably rewarding.

On that note: Ladies and Gentlemen, please do yourselves a massive favor and STOP comparing yourselves to others because if you are always pitying yourself for not being as beautiful, talented, motivated, or intellectual as that other person, you are never going to see the blooming of yourself into the person you want to be for your own sake (sorry I just love flowers.) Seriously though, get up, walk to the nearest mirror (without social media in hand), and really see yourself. Listen to what your heart is telling you to do next on YOUR odyssey, not on the trail of someone else's, and smile. Smile because you know that with time, you can truly heal yourself from the inside to become exactly the right version of you.