Everyone has their words to live by. It’s how they get along, explain the unexplainable, and motivate themselves to do the impossible. For some it’s the common phrases “everything happens for a reason” or “trust the universe." For others it’s personal, to be better than they were before. It’s what gets you through the hard times, the good times, and just the day.

Karma is another one. Do good onto others, receive good, do bad onto others, receive bad. For some that is the law, the never ending cycle of reward and consequence. For others it’s the compulsive fist to wood because knocking on wood will reverse whatever unjust or alarming thought that they spoke. And to few, it’s the middle school girl caption of “life's a beach and we are just playing in the sand.” We feel better living in the mindset everything in life is minuscule and to not worry about it. That in the grand scheme of things we are a tiny page in this book we call life.

We like to trust something, someone, because the idea of being solely in charge of this life we live is terrifying. The go with the flow attitude can’t be applied for this one. This isn’t the same scary feeling of when your parents drop you off at your college dorm for the first time. This is you doing you, all by yourself.

You have your angel and demon on your shoulder. One to tell you to stay in and study for your exam tomorrow, because the only one getting hurt in the end is you. No one else’s future is at stake but your own. And then your demon, the one telling you the Borgore concert is tomorrow and you HAVE to go.

We can realize when we do wrong, and vow to learn from it. We try to not let yesterday take up too much time of today. Unfortunately the time machine Hollywood movies has engraved in our minds is real,is not.

So where am I going with this? I asked the same thing for a solid two hours, and finally found the words to explain how I felt.

If you take a step back and look, life goes on, the phrases still exist, but the only thing that is real is you.

These phrases can get you through life but don’t let them define you. Don’t let them stop you from accepting opportunities or living your life to the fullest. But then again, don’t let them justify your arbitrary actions.

They are siri. There to assist you, but they do not always understand. You say “call Maddie” and she’ll respond “call Daddy?” (barf)

Independence is scary, but also invigorating. You can’t guard yourself every second of every day, so prepare yourself. Be more than the page in the book of life, be the chapter. You've been training for 18 years for this, which in thought seems like forever, but in the end is never enough time. Only you can define your circumstance, your life, your attitude.