Every day I wake up with a set schedule in mind. I make sure to get my work done, try to apply to internships, get my workout in, and basically do everything I can to be the best person I can be. I am trying to reach my fullest potential as a human being, physically and mentally. I don’t aim to be a mediocre human being. I want to reach my goals and say, “I did it!”

But who am I doing this for? Is it for myself, my parents, or just for the “street creds” of it? Honestly, there have been many times where I would say that my parents are the people I’m aiming to please. But ever since I’ve gotten to college, I’ve had to tell myself; “It’s okay that you’re the only one that’s proud of you right now.”

A huge amount of high school and college students aim to make their parents proud of them, just to get that “good job, son,” handshake from their Dad, or “honey I’m so proud of you,” smile from their Mom. I was once like that too. I always had underestimated my self-worth, so it was nice to get a boost of confidence once in a while.

For the past year, I’ve felt as if no one has been proud of me. That sounds really dark and depressing, and honestly, sometimes it is. But I’ve found that there is simply no use in wasting how you feel about yourself based on someone else’s opinion. So what if your friend got an A on the test and you got that B you were aiming for. Don’t feel stupid for being proud of yourself. I’ve found that in every aspect of life, each person has his or her own individual needs and goals. This has led me to not compare my body or brain to others. We are all individuals and different for a reason, and each person has a different “full potential” they can reach as a human being.

So, sometimes you are going to be the only one who is proud of you. Sometimes you will be the only one that gives yourself words of encouragement. At the end of the day, you will be the only one who can pick yourself back up after being down. Sure, your friends and family can certainly help you, but I’ve found that you can’t depend on that, and that’s okay. You are the only person who can make the decisions about who you are, who you become to be, and what you want to do. Sure, mistakes are bound to happen. You might get lazy, skip a class, or forget to attend an important meeting. As long as these mistakes aren’t an everyday thing, you have every right in the world to be proud of yourself and what you do. Heck, you are living life and life is hard! I think we all can agree on that. The fact that you wake up every day and are attempting to live life to the fullest potential is undoubtedly the best accomplishment a human could ever make.