"Fear tricks us into living a boring life."

There are many things in life that scare us; the future, the past, major life events, etc. There are so many things in our lives that could affect us negatively or positively that sometimes we are scared to take a leap of faith and take action on what we want. We are scared to do what we desire because we are afraid of the outcome instead of staying present and enjoying our lives in the moment.

"A diamond is a chunk of coal that did well under pressure."

Be a diamond. Do not let yourself get crushed by the weight of a pressure situation. Sometimes things might seem to be too hard to handle and we forget that God would not put us in a situation that we would not be able to handle. Take control and show those hardships who is boss.

"Celebrate every tiny victory."

Life is too short to not celebrate the little things once in a while. Sometimes when life gets rough, it seems as though getting out of bed is a victory for the day. Enjoy the little things about your day; passing a test, having a good hair day, or even something as simple as getting a good parking spot before school or work. These tiny things help us realize that no matter how badly our day might be going, there is always something positive that can be seen. Tiny victories are happening all around us so don't get wrapped up in the failures.

"Oh my darling it's true. Beautiful things have dents and scratches too."

Everyone in this world is different. We are not perfect and there are things in life that tear you down. But each individual story has beauty if you look at it in the right perspective. Each one of us has something to share with the world. Each one of us is beautiful in our own way. As cliche as that sounds, it's the truth. Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. See more beauty in each other and in the world.

"Stand strong in the storms of life. The sun will always shine on you."

Kid Rock is one of my all-time favorite artists and this quote is one of the best. This lyric from "Rock N' Roll Pain Train" is one of my favorite lines of all time. I remember singing this song with my dad all the time when I was little and I thought it was so special that I have the second part of the lyric tattooed on my foot. I am reminded of it everyday and even on my worst days and with everything that is going on in my life, I see this quote and it makes my heart happy.

"You have already survived 100% of your worst days."

Every hard day that has occurred in your life is over. And guess what? You are still around to tell the tale. Each and every day we are faced with opportunities and sometimes we are faced with trials that test us to the extreme. We have the opportunity to give up and let those situations win, or we can face them head on. Either way, we are okay. We have the strength to do it, even though sometimes is difficult. Power through those rough days and enjoy the fact that you survived them.

"Only grow thoughts in your brain that you wouldn't mind putting in a vase."

Our mind is a very powerful thing. We are in change of what we think about and how we perceive what is going on around us. Many times we are way too hard on ourselves. Take the time to understand that these thoughts grow like flowers. So think happy, beautiful thoughts and save them in a mental vase in the back of your mind. Take care of them. Nurture them. Never forget how true they really are.

"The only time you should ever look back is to see how far you've come."

The past is the past and there is nothing that we can do to go back and change what has happened. We learn and move forward from our mistakes and from our successes as well. We can continually improve our lives and should always strive to be the best version of ourselves. So do not dwell on what has already occurred and do not occupy yourself with ideas for the future. Think about the present moment and do everything you can to make that moment the best that it could possibly be.

"Be gentle with yourself. You're doing the best you can."

Sometimes life is extremely overwhelming. We get caught up in school work, family life, etc. We need a reminder that we are doing everything we can to make it in life and even when it feels like it's not enough, it is. We are all amazing individuals who live amazing lives and sometimes we need to take a step back and understand that we are doing everything we can. Not everyone else is going to be easy on us, so it's up to us to be careful with our own needs. So be careful with yourself and your feelings. You're doing great!

"Just because my path is different doesn't mean I'm lost."

As I've said many times, we are our own humans. We all have very different lives. Just because we do not live the same life as someone else means nothing in the grand scheme of life. Life in general would be pretty boring if we all did the same things. So find your own path on the road less traveled and always be courageous and unique. You are beautiful as is your journey. So never be afraid to go your own way, even if everyone else is going the other direction.