In another life, I would be someone else. I would have an entirely different life with different pivotal moments. In one life, I’m rich and travel the world. I have all the materialistic things I could have ever wanted. In another life, I have a husband and kids. Maybe we live in London or California. Some other me is an Olympic figure skater, winning gold medals and preparing for the 2018 Winter Olympics. I can tell you all the different versions of myself that I have made up over the years, some more elaborate than others. There are days when I wonder how my life would have turned out if I chose one decision over another - how different would my life be? What kind of person would I be? Would I be happier?

But here’s the thing, I was given this life, the life I am living now. The person I am presently is made up of the decisions I did make, not the decisions I didn't. It's made of the people who I've had the pleasure of crossing paths with, the triumphs and the losses, and everything in between. The other versions of myself are the what ifs - my inner self that constantly questions whether or not my decisions, no matter how big or small, were the right decisions. The truth is, there is never a right decision - whether or not it's a mistake remains to be named, but every decision I've made thus far led me here today. The current version of myself has graduated from college, is beginning an exciting new job and living in the city of my dreams, New York. This me has loving friends and family, mentors and two dogs that I adore. So, would I be happier if I had a different life, if I was some other me? Maybe, maybe not. But, if there's anything I've learned, it's to live the life you have, not the one you've made up in your mind.

We often fantasize about our lives, wishing things were different. But it only hurts us in the end. Wanting a different life than the one that's given to us will drive us mad. Asking what-if with every decision leads to resentment that deters us from ever finding happiness in the reality we live in. So what if I was a figure skater, or what if I stayed in California? Those versions of myself are lived and experienced by some other me. While I’ll always wonder what my life would have been like if I had chose one decision over another, I’ve realized there’s no use in dwelling in the past, let alone another reality. The time we have in this reality is fleeting - so why waste it fantasizing about what could have been when we can enjoy what is?