A question so simple, yet will take me my whole life to answer. It is something so scary and fragile. I say fragile because the tiniest choice you make will help define who you are later. Life is about decisions. Every day you decide what time you wake up, what you eat, how you live.
Decisions that seem so small but get documented in the chapters of the big book of your life and the minute they are written cannot be changed. There is no such thing as white-out or erasers when it comes to time. The past is the past, it cannot be changed nor forgotten. If you hate the decisions you've made, learn from them, and change the way you handle it in the future.
Let that last sentence sink in for a moment; learn from your mistakes.
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The mistakes you make and how you handle them define who you are as a person. Nobody else is in charge of your life but you. You can't allow someone else to define you because they, like the rest of us, are put on this Earth to find themselves. If someone decides to purchase your book to read it, let them. If they are so concerned about what you have done then print your book in bold and let them waste their pages in their book reading yours. But DON'T let them take control of the typewriter. You have more important things to concern yourself with than the people who waste their money and time on your life rather than their own.
I am writing this post for me. To find out who I am as a person right now. I feel as though I have lost myself and hopefully writing this will help me find myself again.
Who am I?
This is what I know right now. My name is Casey Whoolery-Pratt. I am a short and petite 20-year-old who looks to be of the age of 12. I am attending college to receive a degree in Marketing, but these are the things that are physical and clear to the eye.
1. I am quirky.
I pretend to be funny and a lot of the time I find myself laughing at my own jokes. I am goofy and a child at heart. But, just because I am a child at heart doesn't mean I am immature and childish. There is a difference. I have an innocent personality but am not uneducated. I am very intelligent and have a love for fun facts that are irrelevant to most but are interesting to me.
2. I love with everything in me.
If I tell you I love you, I mean it. I don't take the word very lightly. I feel as though using this word with no meaning behind it causes a lot of hurt on my end, and the receivers. It is often carelessly thrown around and I refuse to be someone who misuses it.
3. I am strong willed and independent.
I find myself wanting to be a leader and not a follower. I am not afraid to ask for help when it's needed, but I prefer to do it on my own. I am not afraid of taking leaps and trying something new either.
4. I am very competitive.
And will definitely be a sore winner.
5. I tell my family everything.
These people are my rock and I can find support from them whenever I need it. I have a strong relationship with my parents and my sister and her husband. Judge me if you must, but I tell these people everything because family doesn't leave and they are the best to rely on. I am also very protective of the ones I love as well and will do anything for them.
6. I help others.
I was raised this way and I hope my children do too. Someone is going to always be worse off than me so I am going to help when I can. Karma. Good things happen to those who do good for others.
7. I am extremely hardworking.
I put my everything into my job and my projects. My name is getting put on these things so I make sure its the best it can be. I don't ever do anything with half effort or half my heart. Go big or go home.
8. I love to travel.
I grew up traveling and I fell in love with it. I don't just travel to travel either. I try to make the most of my trips and always want to learn while I am. Yes, I love museums...
9. I am a HUGE Disney fan.
No explanation needed.
10. I love to network.
Meeting new people is so exciting and opens me up to great and unlimited opportunities.
11. I am very optimistic.
I try my best to make the most of my experiences and to turn them into positives. Not all the time, but most of the time. I know that I am destined for great things and have a big future ahead of me. I am not cocky, I just know that I am capable of anything I put my mind to. I turn small opportunities into big ones and anything I do now is affecting my future.
12. I refuse to burn bridges.
I want to live my life knowing that the people who left my life were not because of me, that I did everything in my power to maintain that relationship. But, if they still end up leaving, I can sleep easy knowing it was not my fault they left.
13. I learn from mistakes.
I always have and always will. Mistakes are opportunities for change. Not just my mistakes either. If I see the outcome of someone else's decision, I will assess the outcome, and then decide if that is what I want for myself. If the answer is no, change it. Mistakes are the best thing that could happen to me, honestly. It allows me to grow.
14. I will never settle for second best.
I will never settle for less than I am worth. I am worth everything that I make myself. I will never belittle myself or let someone belittle me. Only I can decide what I am worth and I will always make sure its the best for me.
My name is Casey Whoolery-Pratt, and this is me. I am all of these things. If it's not enough for you, then that's fine by me. I will not allow someone else to write my story. My life goal is to leave a mark wherever I go. My story is going to be memorable and it is going to be the best damn story it can be because that's what I am worth. I will make the most of my time on this Earth and I will never apologize for who I am. I hope that you won't either.