At a young age, I remember knowing that I was always a little bit ahead of myself. I don't meant this in a negative way, or even in a positive one, but just for the simple fact that it was the truth.

Family members referred to me as such a "mature little girl" and my friends always seemed to be the kids who were in a grade or two above me. Adult conversation intrigued me more than any elementary school gossip or drama. It was so interesting because it was real; nothing close to the imaginary games that the girls my age always wanted to play.

It was very easy for me to tell when someone close to me was upset. If they tried to feed me a quick, not-so-genuine answer, I called them right out on their bluff. I wanted to know why, how, and everything in between. I wanted to understand. And I didn't want the "kiddie explanation" of it, either.

I distinctly remember a specific moment in my life with one of my babysitters. I was around the age where I was almost old enough to stay home by myself without a parent, but I wasn't quite there, yet. I was always told that she was coming over to "hang out with me", as opposed to babysitting. The term "babysitter" would never have gone over well with me.

The two of us were sitting at my kitchen counter and she was talking to me about her recent engagement. Supposedly, one of her best friends had made a snarky comment about the size of her ring, and she was almost brought to tears just by talking about it. I vaguely remember how genuinely upset she looked. She explained to me that ring size was not even close to being one of her top priorities and she was upset that a dear friend would make such a big deal over it. We engaged in a long conversation about how it was more what the ring symbolized that mattered, rather than the ring itself. She paused for a moment, looked at me, and smiled. Confused, I still smiled back.

"Sometimes I really forget you're only 12", she said to me. "I talk you to like you're one of my friends."

I laughed because that's exactly what I considered her: A friend—not a babysitter or someone who had to watch over me.

Her remark was something that I was so used to hearing and that I frequently hear to this day.

When I was younger, the fact that I was always so ahead of myself was phrased in a much more of a complimentary form. Like, "Wow, she's so smart and mature for her age!! That's so great." Now it seems to teeter between something positive and something that's occasionally negative. I couldn't tell you how many times I've been told that I plan too much, and that in doing so, I'm not living in the moment. I'm not "enjoying the now".

I believed that statement for a decent amount of time, until it became almost laughable. I don't feel as if a pro that I've been proud of my entire life should turn into con just because I am no longer a little girl.

I am a planner. I'm a go-getter. I like to be organized and have set dreams. I like to engage in conversation with those who are older and wiser than me. That's who I am and probably who I will always be. And you can tell me that I am not "living in the moment" or whatever you may believe, but I am the only person who knows that that's the furthest thing from the truth.

If your goals aren't set out and planned, how are you ever going to know what exactly they truly are? And how good do you think it'll feel when finally achieve a goal that you set as an 18-year-old?

So to the girl who has always been one step ahead of herself, I'm proud of you. Never change who you are. I endlessly believe this quality is something that will take you so far in life.