Plato once said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

Often when one reads this quote, they might infer that the "challenges and controversy" imply that an individual has been physically challenged, or changed. However, I think some of the greatest challenges we can face in our lives occur in our minds. In fact, even when everything in your life seems completely ideal, we can still endure feelings of confusion and uncertainty.

It's my sophomore year, and I can't help but feel very confused and scurried while trying to figure out many things.

When graduating high school, I picked an affordable school in order to save some money and hopefully figure out what I wanted to do for a living. Therefore, at 17 years old, I did not have a care in the world because I had merely two more years to figure out what my purpose was. Now as I am closing in on that two year gap, and it's crunch time. There is no more "stalling period" where I can avoid reality. Instead, it's expected that I will just know what I am meant to do.

At 19, I think we are all tested for what we believe in and what we stand for. Decisions you made years ago begin to resurface and weigh heavily on you. Regrets begin to set in, words you wish you could've said or taken back. We all face the period of confusion and discontent with how we are living.

Up until this point, life has been a series of repeated motions that we perform because we have been trained to do so. At 19, life is finally in your own hands, as scary and exciting as that can be. It's all up to you.

I think we all go through a phase in life where we feel like we are wasting our lives, rushing time in order to get to something better. "When you grow up everything will fall into place," or "By 25 you'll be settled in a career." Those are phrases I have heard often, which would lead a person to rush their lives while waiting to reach 25, and hopefully that goal.

We waste our moments and words because of fear: the fear of failing. I currently am a bit lost in my studies and with what my purpose is; however, that does not mean that I will succumb to this slump and let it win. We all are going to have rough days, days where we feel like we are going nowhere. But I truly believe that if we invest in ourselves in these young years, we will learn so much about ourselves and hopefully put it to great use. If we begin to start living and not just existing and contribute to society, we will feel more self fulfilled.

Life is a constant motion of give and take, good and bad, hot and cold, high and low. Some moments will be better than others, but how we react to our struggles and low points says more about who we are than when we are riding high. Patience is a virtue, so if you invest in yourself and work hard, your answers will present themselves.