I have always been an adrenaline junky. I have always wanted to try new exciting things. And I have ALWAYS wanted to travel. I have many dreams that I want to happen: travel to Europe, live in Africa, go skydiving. We all have dreams. Hopes. Goals. It can be anything from earning an A in that one class to getting that perfect job you always wanted.

That's great. I will never tell you to not follow your dreams, and I will encourage you with passion. You should never let the fact that that thing is only "a dream" keep you from striving towards it. Because more often than not, if you really put your mind to it, that "dream" will become reality.

However, sometimes those goals can take control of our life. Our only focus is to attain that one specific dream and achieve that singular goal. We are constantly focused on pushing ourselves towards those dreams and think that the only thing that will make us happy is being able to experience that one thing. This is not true.

Real joy comes from being able to find happiness in the situation that you are in right now.

Yes, you still pursue that dream, and just as fervently as before. But don't let that "grass is always greener on the other side" philosophy take control of your life. Otherwise, you will always be chasing from one pot of gold to the next.

Be thankful for the things you have now. Not just the basic things: a house, food, shoes on your feet, etc. etc. etc. But really think about your life right now. Think of the positive relationships you have, the small victories you have achieved (yes, getting all your laundry done is totally a victory), and all the little things that put a smile on your face this week.

It's important to remember all these things. If you change your focus from chasing things that you don't have, to appreciating things that you do have, you'll be a much happier person. It's not always easy, you do have to work at it. But the positive outlook that you receive as recompense absolutely makes it worth the effort.

If you striving towards a dream, let that dream inspire you in what you're doing right now, rather than discourage you because you don't have it.

You can enjoy your current life and work towards your goal. You can absolutely do both. I'm not saying settle for what you have now, never settle. But Just make sure that when you get to the end of your life you don't look back with regret because you always wanted the things you didn't have and never noticed the great things you already did.