Throughout my entire life, I've always struggled to cope with anger. I vividly remember getting into altercations with peers during my preschool days over issues containing little-to-no relevance. I'd pick fights with others as I was unable to control myself in uncomfortable situations.

Moments still arise to this day when I fail to bring myself back down to Earth. I sometimes berate loved ones for unknown reasons or lash out while driving in a fit of road rage.

As time has progressed, I've made a valiant effort to improve my anger management skills. I've discovered that getting flustered over the unforeseen obstacles that accompany everyday life is pointless.

Like everyone else growing up, I wanted to fit in. I wanted to create meaningful relationships with individuals. In order to do this, I had to refine myself. Sometimes I succeeded, sometimes I failed. I stayed positive throughout this process. I knew that my patience would pay dividends.

And it did.

Once I developed a tight-knit circle of friends, I finally found that sense of comfort I had been craving for so long. I no longer felt the urge to throw tantrums. I was at peace.

If you also struggle with anger problems, you know that it's impossible to permanently suppress these demons. There's always relapses, temporary slip-ups triggered by some event outside of one's control. I've experienced this myself, and I am able to confidently label it as one of the most discouraging feelings in the world.

You feel as though all the progress you've made has suddenly vanished. Turn the record over, back to square one, right?

Wrong.

The key to overcoming these obstacles is to maintain a positive attitude. It's not the end of the world; shit happens. All you can do is embrace adversity and use it as a motive for future improvement.

I went through a period of anger-related relapses during middle school. This was a tough time for me, a period defined by rapid physical, mental, and emotional change. I was a 14-year-old boy who had friends, but something still wasn't right.

Then, high school arrived.

High school was a life-altering experience that I would not trade for the world. High school is where I discovered my true self.

I discovered how much I enjoy writing. I discovered how much I enjoy music.

I discovered how much I enjoy girls. I discovered how much I enjoy beer.

I discovered how much I enjoy being happy.

For me, a successful life isn't derived from wealth or fame. A successful life is obtained via fulfillment. One must feel fulfilled with his or herself in order to be successful. I inherently believe that every person has ambitions. While these ambitions vary widely, they are important to their respective owners and should be valued greatly.

I have established ambitious, yet achievable goals for myself. I hope to attend law school following college graduation. I also hope to one day write a book. I want to be a role model for other individuals.

If I hope to fulfill these aspirations, I must remain determined.

By discovering what I enjoy doing and what I aim to do in the future, I have found solace in my own skin. I refuse to be fazed by what I cannot control. I am an imperfect human being. Failure is simply a component of the process.

But I promise to bounce back from failure. I will overcome hardship in pursuit of my dreams and inevitably prevail. Some of us can't help being born with anger problems, but we can help with controlling our flaws.

Rise up, my friends. Today you have been reborn. Instead of getting mad at the rest of the world, go out and own it.