People are always telling me "You're doing too much." "Take a break." "Live a little."

Sure, I am really busy. Between taking 18 hours last year, having two jobs, landing a summer internship, and an internship for the fall--I was busy. But I am never too busy.

People all around me are doing absolutely nothing with their summer and have no desire to work during the semester. They are living off of their parents money and are completely fine with it.

That's what I don't get.

I was raised with the belief that nothing is ever handed to you. If it's handed to you, it isn't worth anything. You have to work extremely hard to get what you want. You need to earn it.

I have this mentality not only because it was what I was told growing up, but I have seen it in action. I have seen the best and I have seen the worst. I see what comes of people who don't have motivation and aren't taking the right steps to reach their goals. I never want my card to get denied when I'm grocery shopping and try and figure out how I'm going to feed my family for the week. I never want to have to ask my mom for help when I'm 26 because I can't make a house payment. I never want people to look at me and think; "Bless her heart."

The only way I can accomplish this is to work hard now. It isn't even about the money. It's about being proud of myself and what I have done. If I work hard now, I can get the job I want. I can live the way I want to live and not have to be concerned whether or not I can afford a tank of gas or have to rely on someone else.

I want to be independent.

Part of the problem with my generation is that they are too reliant on their parents. They never get a taste of the real world until it's too late. They graduate college and then live in their parents basement because it is a "safe" place. They continue to live there because they never got out and gained experience. I'm sorry but being a nanny for the summer will get you nowhere if you want to be an engineer or a vet. You have to gain the experience you need to get the job you want.

I may be ahead of people my age, but that isn't my goal. I want to be ahead of just about everyone. I refuse to take a break. That's how I get ahead and continue to get ahead. If I want to be accomplished and established I cannot simply "take a break and have fun." It's quite the intimidating mentality to some of my peers. They tell me to quit something, pretending that it is for my own good when it's really to make themselves feel better about being a senior in college and lifeguarding all summer.

Never apologize for being ambitious. They want you to feel like you're doing something wrong. There is nothing wrong with working hard to achieve your goals.

People have told me that when they're about to make a decision like skipping class or calling out of work because they're tired, they think about what I would do. If I can push others to succeed then I'm doing it right. Everyone needs a goal and if I can help them get there by being as driven as I am, so be it.

Don't tell me to take a break.