I have recently learned that life has a very strange way of turning your world upside down in a matter of months. Now, I must warn you that this will get personal and my intentions are pure: to help the other ladies out there that thought they had it all together, only to realize... they don't. So, here is my story of struggle, my wrestle with the beast...perfection.

Growing up, I had it all together. I was a straight-A student, never got into trouble, was fairly popular, had the greatest group of friends and was my high school's prom queen... I mean my superlative my senior year was Best Role Model. Life was grand, I got into a great college, joined the best sorority and I got into the Nursing program a year early. Everything was falling together just as I had planned, and I couldn't wait for the future. I was completely fine with being by myself. I was the definition of an independent woman. My parents raised me to never rely on anyone but myself (thank you Mom & Dad), and I didn't. I was completely content with being on my own.

More importantly, I had a plan. To become an RN, have a great job helping others, to move into a nice house right beside my parents, get married, have kids... you know; the norm. Every single moment of my life up until now was almost always planned. I knew what I needed to do in order to reach the goal. But, what I know now, is that when you are so driven to reach only a goal, you forget the importance of the small things in life.

I fell in love the summer before my sophomore year of college. I lost myself in the relationship, meaning that I was so consumed with loving someone else, I forgot to love myself. And let me point out, this guy was a complete saint. He loved me fiercely, even when I didn't love myself. So, ladies, if you have one like that, hold on tight. But, things starting getting rocky. I found myself making really small things into huge arguments, stressing about a small change of plan, having panic attacks on the regular, and I felt as if I was losing everyone, including myself. We broke up at the beginning of the following summer. Needless to say, my plans changed. Nothing was the same and the adjustment process was terrible. On top of this, I changed my major, transferred schools, my best friends and I went in different directions, and my grandfather was diagnosed with dementia and was put into a mental institution. My life seemed to take on a whole new direction...one that was not planned.

I was diagnosed with a severe adjustment reaction accompanied by severe anxiety and depression. I was put on medication and still have weekly therapy sessions. My life went from almost perfect to hardly livable. I didn't know what way was up and it took everything I had to get out of bed. I was not okay. I was the farthest from it.

But, here is the important part. I did get out of bed. I got out of bed, started working 40 hours a week with kids who have changed my life for the better, I cut my hair, lost weight healthy, spent more time with family and friends, got a tattoo, and I learned to let things go. I spent more time enjoying small things, like sitting outside and just breathing in fresh air. Slowly, I started to see a change. I wasn't completely okay, but I learned a very important lesson. You do not have to be 100 percent okay, 100 percent of the time. I have had to learn the hard way that life shouldn't be so serious all of the time and that I am worth it.

I had to crawl my way out of hell. I still have "bad" times, but one bad day does not mean a bad life. I had to teach myself to breathe again. To enjoy life again. I have struggled deeply, but I have grown even deeper. I am a beautiful, confident, and successful woman...and you are too. You have read this article for a reason, and I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. i hope that you can find the same comfort in knowing that it does get easier. Regardless of the situation, life is so tough, but you are so much tougher.