Growing up is hard, trust me, I know. Once you get older, you are tossed and turned in a million different directions and people are going to try to change you. You will come across people from all walks of life, and some of these individuals may be absolutely amazing. They may love you, inspire you and bring out the best in you. Unfortunately, not every individual that you come across will be as sweet as you hope. Some people may try to bring you down, whether with gossip, mean looks or quiet whispers. And I know how difficult it is to find your place. I know it’s an extremely bumpy ride along the journey to find yourself. But the truth is, the ride is completely worthwhile and before you waste your time worrying about how others are perceiving you, remember that you are unique. You are special. There is not one other person on the face of this earth who is exactly like you, how absolutely amazing is that? You need to love yourself, because your time on this earth is not infinite, as much as you may wish it were. So please do not allow people to tear you down. You don’t deserve that. No one deserves that. Use people’s words as a way to bring you up. You have the power to prove them wrong. Now that I am in college, I find myself wondering along my way to class and just thinking about how happy I am to be me. Your qualities will help you find your niche, and you will find friends who are the missing pieces to the puzzle of your life. Sure, some pieces may not fit exactly right, but you always find a place for them. I have always been a person who puts others before myself, and I have always been proud of that. I make sure that my friends and family are happy with where they are and I try to provide smiles and advice in times of challenge, but there comes a point when you have to focus on yourself. I have always considered myself a perfectionist, and if you know anything about perfectionists it’s that they will do absolutely anything to make sure everything is in tip-top shape. Perfectionists spend too much time on projects, stress about situations that are out of their control, and always find a way to pick out their flaws. Since I am a perfectionist, I have struggled with my self-confidence quite often, especially when it comes to school. And if you must know, the struggle only becomes more difficult as you enter college because you realize that you are in an ocean surrounded by bright, beautiful fish that you must learn to swim with. As a college student, I have realized that you have to be happy in your own, unique shoes. I am so proud of the person I am and I find that my sunny disposition rubs off on others, which is always quite fascinating to see because you realize how much of an impact you can have on another person’s life. Please learn to love yourself and accept your flaws because everybody has them. Nobody is perfect, but each person is perfect in their own way. So love yourself, because once you do you will understand how much you have to offer to the world.