So many people have stories. You know, the stories about how they went through this dramatic circumstance or had an epiphany or a life-changing idea and they became a better person because of it. They have these moments that define them, moments that tell a story that they can share with the world in a testimony of pure truth and emotion.

I am not one of those people. I don't have a "story."

Yes, I’ve had anxiety all throughout my life. I’ve had my fair share of friend drama and emotional days. But I’ve never had a moment that I can talk about to the world that shows how far I’ve come.

For a while, this bothered me. It bothered me that so many people have these experiences that make them who they are, while I have kind of sat back and said, “well, this is just who I am, I guess.”

I have been blessed to never experience a death of a close loved one or traumatic experience. And believe me, I am extraordinarily happy about that. But there have been no epiphanies, either. No life-changing experience that I can think of that reflects who I am. So, then, how do I define myself?

First of all, I define myself by not needing to have something dramatic or life changing to be worthy of having a story.

I’m only nineteen, so I don’t really need to worry about a whole lot. I go to university, I work hard and try to get good grades. I have friends and have ways to deal with anxiety. I have parents who love me and a religion that I feel I can connect with. I’m lucky. And maybe that’s how I can define myself.

Without an important testimony, I get to define who I am by what I decide. I decided that what I want more than anything in the world is to be happy. This is without an important backstory, too. I just know that I want to put happiness before a career. I want to define myself as a cheerful person, as someone who loves others and cares for other people more than I care for myself.

I don’t need a story.

I have never struggled with the question of “Who am I?” No dramatic events have really happened to me personally. Of course, I’ve been involved in some, but they are not my stories to share. Events like those are ones that I partake in, and even though they aren’t my events to be defined by, I get to take that and decide who I want to be from that. There’s no need for me to have to be the center of attention, because I know that without an epiphany or event, I get to define myself by my reactions, by a level of maturity, or by my happiness.

Instead of a life changing story or event, this is how I can share who I am: I am working on being happy. I am someone who wants to listen to others. I am someone who cares deeply (sometimes too deeply) and someone who loves with her whole heart. I am artsy and I use that to express myself. I like to read and I like to have quiet time and I am an introvert who loves Oregon Vanilla Chai lattes. And, most importantly, I am who I am because I get to decide who I am.

So no, I’m not the best person to share a testimony, because I don’t have anything dramatic that happened to me. No brilliant idea, no trauma, no epiphany. All I’ve had is a desire to be who I am, get past obstacles that get in my way, and love with my whole heart.

And that’s what I can define myself by.