It can be hard, discouraging at times even. We get a bad rep and a negative connotation. We are constantly being built up and torn down twice as hard every time.

" Millennials are lazy."

"Why do they find their self worth in their social media likes?"

"All they do is stare at their phones."

"They are uneducated and complain too much."

"Millennials think they're so entitled."

Well, I beg to differ.

People tend to fit us into this category all mushed together when the reality is we are the most diverse generation there is. You cannot call us millennials and expect our negative connotation to accurately depict us. We are dreamers of possibility, doers of the nation and innovators of the future. We have dreams to change the world, and we are constantly writing and editing our steps of how to get there.

We work hard. We face constant comparisons of our peers. We battle the pressure of needing to know what our future holds while the weight of depression and anxiety lay on our backs. We battle the discouraging looks we get when we follow our dreams. We attend school full-time and work full-time jobs in order to pay for tuition and books. We are looked at like we're incapable and inadequate when we have holes in our Nikes, but we would rather have food in our stomach than new shoes.

Complaints are tossed around left and right when we decide to speak up for what we believe in. We are active politically, socially and whether or not we go to college, we believe in the importance of education. To know when college is not a realistic option and to work a full-time job instead, despite what society says, is a knowledgeable thing.

We are not lazy; we are industrious. Although you may not see anything on the outside, that does not reflect what is happening internally. Our brains are buzzing a million miles an hour trying to figure out who we are and where we want to go. We sweat, bleed and cry, too. We stay up all night, not because of procrastination, but because we value the importance of getting things accomplished over the amount of sleep we get.

We do not find our self-worth in social media. We acknowledge the opportunity to share our experiences and passions with those around us. We have hundreds of Facebook friends, but we can count on one hand the people we call our best friends. This is because we know the value of close relationships and the importance of encouraging and spurring on everyone else, even if it means we do it over a computer screen. Why would we not share our life and love with those around us?

We are on our phones because society has shoved technology onto us. We were nurtured with electronics in every hand to entertain us instead of riding our bikes around the neighborhood. We were sat in front of the television and expected to focus hours at a time staring at the 32'' screen in front of us. Although ironically, when we are with our friends, our phone is in our back pocket, and our minds are focused on our social experiences.

We are told we are uneducated, yet a huge percent of us pay for college on our own. We are in a state of constant exhaustion because we challenge our brains to handle loads of coursework and readings. So many of us have handled hardships at home or at school that could cause one to "go off the deep end," but we take those troubles and use them to our advantage. We do not let our past define our future.

We complain because we know what we believe in. We challenge the ideas that are placed before us, and we run with full force to support an idea we believe in our hearts is morally right. We don't always agree with one another, but we respect the idea of someone else chasing after their dreams.

We are told we think we are entitled, and those people are right. We are entitled to express our inner self. We are entitled to write and speak out against what is happening globally, socially, politically and education wise. We are entitled to the future we believe in. We are not asking for it to be served on a silver platter in front of us, but we are asking for the opportunity to pursue who God has called us to be.

We are the thrill seekers and the explorers. The ones who will stay up all night just to go on a road trip. We value experiences over tangible items. We love often, and we love hard. We have a heart for people, compassion on the hurting and discipline to stand by what we believe in. We are not the "lazy" generation that some categorize as a whole. Millennials are a generation with such a diverse genetic background, it is impossible to describe us in only one word besides hope.