We all have heard the saying at one point or another "Everything happens for a reason". Some of us choose to stick with this popular mentality, and others believe that some things happen just because they happen. I am definitely among those who chose to believe that everything truly does happen for a reason.

The saying "everything happens for a reason" ties in nicely with something my mom always told me growing up; "you are always exactly where you are supposed to be". I remember hearing my mom mutter this under her breath when stuck in traffic, running late, having to turn around because she forgot something at home. She would explain to me that maybe we were supposed to be stuck in traffic because if the roads were empty and she was speeding she would've gotten a ticket or some other scenario she could come up with to remind us that we are exactly where we are supposed to be.

I've carried these two sayings with me throughout my life and I often use them as reminders for when times are tough or I'm struggling or frustrated. One of my biggest "everything happens for a reason" moments was college. Rutgers University was my dream school (or so I thought) and I was pretty positive I was going to be accepted, I was an athlete and I had the grades. But as the universe would have it, I didn't get accepted. I had however, been accepted to UMass Amherst. At the time it was my last choice. Surely enough I wind up visiting, making the cheer team, and falling in love with the school I now call home. At first, not getting into Rutgers was devastating, but now I realize that the reason behind it was so that I could end up here and meet my best friends and get to experience everything I have so far.

The hard part about living by these sayings, is that sometimes we never get to have those "ah-ha" moments and find out the reason things happen. This is where your faith comes into play. As someone who has experienced the tragic death of four young friends, I turn to God and my faith in these moments. It's not easy, and not everyone can do it, but I trust that He has a greater plan. As Luke Bryan once said "Sometimes the greater plan is kinda hard to understand", but that doesn't mean that there isn't one.

The next time you are going through a tough time or you're running late, or stuck in traffic, remind yourself that everything happens for a reason, and you are exactly where you are supposed to be.

Everything that has happened to you so far is preparing you for something that is yet to come. Trust the process, trust your faith, and trust that the reason behind everything is for your greater purpose.