Your early twenties are a crazy time in your life. The teen years have finally come to an end, but you still have so much life ahead of you. You are expected to have a perfect future plan, but in reality you’re still trying to get a handle on simply making it day to day. Whether you’re in college pursuing a higher education or starting a career and beginning to provide for yourself, you are embarking upon a dynamic journey. You are learning what it feels like to have a gigantic amount of independence. Every day you are faced with decisions that help to shape who you are and where you want to end up in life.

There is a lot of pressure in your early twenties to have your shit together.

Stats, numbers, and letters become the bane of your existence. Sometimes a GPA just one point higher could make the difference between getting into your dream law school or not. Just a few points higher on the MCAT could decide whether or not you’re going to become a doctor. If you wouldn’t have bought that cute dress you might have money for the water bill this month.

Not every decision ends up being the greatest one. Your twenties are a time filled with quite a few mistakes. You screw up and fall down a lot. It’s messy.You go out the night before your final; you forget to write that midterm paper; you date that boy that treats you like crap; you turn 21 and learn it’s a blessing and a curse; you’re friends with the girl who still loves high school drama; you swipe your credit card until you’re in debt; you choose pizza over the gym far too frequently.

Here’s the catch, though.

It’s all going to work out. I’m a strong believer in the phrase “everything happens for a reason.” Even if you don’t believe in a higher power, I think it is apparent that all of life’s occurrences, whether they are positive or negative, have gotten me closer to the path that I am currently walking on in one way or another. Life is a journey where you have to live and learn and change.

So, in the midst of the chaos you encounter in your early twenties, appreciate the beautiful aspects of them. Appreciate the friends that turn into family that you can’t imagine living life without. Enjoy the nights you spend dancing on bars and laughing with them. Pat yourself on the back when you have little victories like passing that class that you have spent countless hours studying for. Allow yourself to feel pride when you get that first paycheck from your dream job. Make time to spend with your significant other that brings a new light to your world with every smile. Take the good with the bad and enjoy the ride!