Every year that passes us by is another chance to grow within. My year began with being depressed and by the end of the year, I somewhat found peace.

There's a lot I had to learn about myself. Starting with, "How can I find confidence in myself?" or "Am I even good at this?"

From questioning my skills to struggling to find peace and confidence within, I had to start from somewhere.

I have a lot of insecurities, but again who doesn't? Doubting my skills came from looking at other people's work and thinking, "Damn, can I write as well as them?" I'm not sure but I wrote anyway. Another place where the self-doubt came from were from classes. My essays may have been great but after sending in an article or an assignment, this rush of fear came over me. I thought maybe I could've done better or not procrastinated it. I have put assignments, studying, and articles until the last minute. Not quite sure why but I've lost motivation to do anything.

However, one of my classes —multimedia storytelling— has taught me how to tell a story with photos and by making a video as well. It turns out that I enjoy doing audio and video interview — it gives me a sense of purpose when I do them. I feel the same when it comes to writing so I'm not sure what that means to me.

I've certainly felt peace, but there's something missing and I am not quite sure what. Because of this feeling, I've stopped worrying as much.

I was heartbroken earlier this year when I came out to my parents —and to the whole world— in June. I've made some friends while I lost others. It's a typical year for me. But I'm grateful for the family members who actually do speak to me and for the friends I've gained. I won't pine over the friends I've lost because there's no need to dwell on what is already gone.

What changed was my mindset for most of this past year.I've been thinking a lot about my attitude/personality and how I can change what I don't like about myself. So I did — to an extent.

I might've been scared out of my mind to interview people but I did, I wasn't sure if my articles were any good but wrote anyways; I wasn't sure if I was going to pass my classes this semester but I did. What won't change is the fear that overcomes me when it comes to socializing with people — I'm not sure how I'll respond or how others will react, but I'm willing to take a risk anyway.

What is life, if there were no risks?