We all have an image of ourselves in our minds. An image of who we believe we are. An image we choose to believe no matter what. We can hold on to this idea of ourselves all we want, but that will not make it true. It isn't easy to accept, but it is an important step toward a conscious life. Our lives begin by figuring out the world and how we relate to it. Before you were able to grasp the concept of the world around you, adults wanted you to pick a career and start choosing your path in life.

As adults, we thought we had it all figured out and when problems arose and we hit that invisible wall, we seemed to go back to square one. What do you want to be? Changing your life in any significant way is difficult—you can't do it overnight. I wanted to help people. I wanted to help open their minds, help them step out of the box they're trapped in. All these ideas and guidelines aren't real, they're just a figment of our imagination created by the society all around us.

Every person around the world has hopes, dreams, and aspirations. You can be everything you ever dreamed of. While it may seem impossible to reinvent yourself, you can become the person you've always wanted to be. Persistence and determination are key. Never give up and never give in. So, dig deep and remember when you were eight years old, what did you want? I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to inspire people. I wanted to be strong in every sense of the word, and I wanted people to trust me, not for a misguided sense of popularity or fame, but because they know that I'm genuinely good.

We only live once. We only have one chance at this life. No matter what happens to you or how hard life gets, it can't be your excuse forever. You are responsible for your life and how you decide to live it. Life goes on whether we like it or not. Even when our world stops, life still goes on, and we have to go on too.

Decide how you want to transcend the personal goals you set for yourself. Those goals ultimately reflect your attitude and your outlook on life itself. I used to feel like who you are is something that is already decided through genetics and parental upbringing. As I got older, I realized that I am the only one in control of my life. I decide who I am and who I want to become. Nobody else. Who I am today isn't an accident, by luck, or even by genetics. Who I am today is the result of my decisions throughout life. No, I'm not perfect, but perfection is a goal with an understanding that you will never meet it. Reach for the stars, even when everyone tells you it's impossible to fly.