Hey, you.

Right now you might be headed out the door to your job you go straight out of college, or you might be gathering your school stuff together as you head to your 8 a.m. class.

On your morning commute you let thoughts of nostalgia roll through your head...memories of your golden days in high school or past achievements...thoughts back to previous friends, sports, and extracurriculars...and then, like an unforeseen comet flying through the sky, reality slaps you in the face.

What happened?

You used to be the 4.0 student who was generally looked up to for your intelligence.

Or maybe you were the all-star soccer player who racked up goals like it was nobody's business. Or maybe you were a musical prodigy when it came to instruments and were known for being the nicest kid on the block. You had energy, motivation, hopes, dreams, passion, and joy. There was nothing to worry about back then.

But now... now you have a million things on your plate. You may have been just as busy in high school, but where did your motivation go? School is rough. Staying financially independent and stable is a challenge. Relationships complicate everything.

So you ask yourself, what happened to the old me? Where is that light? Am I just average now since I no longer hold that 4.0? Am I just average now that I can't balance as many things at once?

It could be the changes in your body, the lack of motivation, the comparison of yourself to what others are achieving these days.... but you now consider yourself just 'average.'

You are no longer the person that had everything all together and figured out.

People told you great things were in store for your life, but you're starting to question your own character and abilities.

Well, I got news for you.

The best is yet to come.

Shall I say it one more time? The best is yet to come. Many trials will come our way as we step into adulthood, but do not give up. The spark that was in you a few years ago, yeah it's still there. You just need to light it again!

Your identity is not 'average' just because all your ducks may not be in a row.

Comparison is the thief of joy and no one needs to bear the weight of being 'average' because that stems from comparing yourself to others.

You have so much to offer the world. When times get tough, classes seem beyond difficult, or work is slow, don't forget that your unique self is in this very place for a reason.

Each day you have a chance to leave an impact on the world. (Sorry to be so cliché.) You might not have the perfect resume or the perfect job, but you are still beautiful, intelligent, a dreamer, and fabulously you.

So if you're beating yourself up over the trivialities in life, you're wasting your time! Take a break! You are doing STELLAR. Instead of getting down on yourself, remind yourself of all the adversity you have already overcome and celebrate the small victories in life.