The expectations of life are detrimental but ubiquitous. We are expected to go to school. Get an education, plus maybe a couple more years of schooling if you're fancy. Then we enter the workforce. Work 9am-5pm. Start a family. And repeat the 9am-5pm, day to day routine.

For some, this satisfies. I will not judge or say this is wrong. If you are truly happy with the systemized lifestyle expectations and the structured life, then I am happy for you. You cannot condemn happiness.

But on my quest for a life I have chosen, not settled for, I understand that I crave more than the societal expectations pressed upon a young girl with the world before her. We have this idea of what life is "supposed" to be like. But what if we are entirely wrong?

I used to care. A little bit too much honestly. I used to yearn for a big office and long work weeks that was married with high status and the approval and admiration of others. After a need to discover my true happiness, however, I know that this is not my passion, but the inner voice telling me to please others that I could not seem to extinguish.

However, now is my time, and your time, to make the decisions that will shape our lives. I aspire to live a life that isn't in wait of the weekends. That is a waste.

I want to move people and change lives. I want to see that my work is making a positive impact on the world. I want to travel and see new sights and indulge in different cultures, understand humanity and all that life has granted us.

We have an entire world to explore. We have oceans, seas, continents, and skies to probe and take advantage of. I cannot waste this miracle, and neither should you.

Drop the idea that money comes first. I am not naive and I am aware that we all need money to survive. What I am saying is that it shouldn't be the only thing that matters. Other people's projections of you should not matter. Make connections, touch lives, make a difference in the world. Do what you actually enjoy, no matter what that is. Sacrifice societal status for happiness.

At the end of your life, the amount of money in your bank account won't matter. The lives you've impacted and the memories you've made a will. Do not allow society and the expectations of others to trap you. Find what will fuel your individual happiness and go after it.