I grew up in a cookie cutter world.

I didn't fit in it, and I didn't try to fit in it. That was my choice, my path, my life. It was difficult at times, but I found I was happier being myself than pretending to be someone I was not. I did not understand why people tried so hard.

As I got older, I found it was easy to fall into the same cookie cutter mold as everyone else. Middle school and high school were hard! People are mean! I saw why people just wanted to fit in. It was just easier to agree with opinions, listen to the same music, look up to the same celebrities, wear the same mainstream clothing, and accepting mediocre goals.

I was in a sea of average.

It was just easier to go with the flow then, but I have changed that.

In college, it is so much easier to mold into your own. There is not a pressure to be friends with every person you see every day.

There is no pressure to be someone else.

There is no pressure to be perfect. After a couple semesters of finally get the hang of it, I have taken back my own life.

I've become more focused on my goals, and less focused on those "nay-sayers" around me. I have found my true friends and I stopped spending time on those that do not matter. I have been eating better fuel food, not just what is convenient.

I have found it to be easier all around to live on a budget. I have thrown myself into my degree and its field (because I love it). I have gotten more involved with activities I like rather than pressure to do the bare requirements.

I wear what I want and what I am comfortable in, not just to impress others or blend in. I have made it a goal to find a career I love, rather than just a job that makes a lot of money.

Most importantly, I have found myself not caring what others think. There are too many people that have opinions on how I should live, dress, eat, socialize, or be at this age.

I was once so overwhelmed with wanting to meet these expectations. Not anymore. I am living MY life because I only get one. I cannot just harp on these expectations from others, I have to do what makes me happy.

It's your life, mold it to your happiness!