Amid a school year that seems to be nothing short of a disaster, I've been having the most terrible time lately, simply coping with all of the issues that continue to pile up with life. My "adulting" skills are not up to par, and most of the time, I have a hard time finding the good in every situation. I let myself get so overwhelmed with all that's going wrong in my life, that I seem to ignore all of the little things that are going right. You have to learn to find the light in every situation, or you'll be living in the darkness your whole life.

I'm the sort of person who lets the small, but inconvenient things get to them. Just the other day, I cried over there being no parking spots open at school, and having to park a mile away from the bus stop. I was fed up with all of my tiny catastrophes and I could feel the hot frustration rising through me. I allowed myself to break down and beat myself up over not getting to school earlier, and finding a better parking spot then. After glancing at my reflection in my rear view mirror, only to see my puffy eyes and runny nose, I didn't see the young adult I've been building myself up to be. I saw a really big baby who just threw a temper-tantrum over a parking spot. I realized right then, if I let myself get worked up over every little negative that happens to me, I'll never enjoy life again. You must to learn to look past the little inconveniences, and to find the good in every situation.

There's something I've quickly realized as I've just started to dip my toes into the pond of "adulting," bad things are always going to happen, and they're going to happen to everyone. Every single person on Earth is fighting their own inner battles. No matter how big or how small, everyone's facing their own struggle. There's an odd amount of comfort in knowing that you're not the only person in the world who's having a hard time. So be patient with others, and with yourself, and know that no one person's problems are more significant than yours. We're all just doing what we have to do to get by. We're all human.

Sometimes it's hard to appreciate the little blessings when these massive calamities are coming at you from all angles. You have to go out of your way to find the good in all things. Whether it be a nice phone call with your mom, a good hair day, or getting a good grade on a paper, make it a point to treasure the small things that make life sweet. Without them, life would be like a dull pencil. Pointless.

The beauty in life is that every single day is a new chance to start over, and reinvent yourself. Every day is an opportunity to start turning yourself into the person you want to be. You don't have to chain yourself to the mistakes of your past. You are free to make all the mistakes you want, as long as you embrace them, learn from them, and let them build you into a better person. Quit beating yourself up over the things that are no longer in your control. Start finding the tiny things to be grateful for, and the happiness will follow.