You know that feeling when you buy new shoes? The feeling of "oh no, should I really" in line at the register, the ping of regret as soon as you swipe that credit card, and the feeling of "what the actual heck have I done" when the first blister begins to form - those feelings happen to the best of us, I promise. It's not always the first time you wear them, either. The blister sometimes decides to show up the second or third time you wear those new shoes. The pain always always always comes as a surprise, even though you thought about it in the car on your way home from the store with your fresh new kicks riding shotgun. It hits you like a ton of bricks when that first blister forms, or that first new sore spot shows up.

It happens. To all of us.

Today, I'm wearing my recently purchased VANS for the very first time. Walking from my car to my first class, I received that oh-so-familiar feeling of a forming blister on the back of my left heel. Before my second class, it was there on the right side, too. Immediately, I thought "I'm never wearing these again. I'm returning them tomorrow." But then I remembered how much I loved them when I first put them on. How I easily justified spending that much money on a pair of shoes. How I proudly showed them to everyone I saw that day. And I remembered I took the risk, I made a commitment, and I'm not letting it beat me.

I brought out the trusty bandaids, and now I'm kickin' today's ass with only almost-formed blisters on both heels.

There are blisters in all aspects of life - school, work, and especially relationships.

Remember the last time you were struggling in class?

Or the last time you had a terrible shift at work?

Or the last time you were in a relationship and it wasn't going perfectly?

The blisters ARE real.

In all of those situations, it was like that "oh no, should I really" feeling standing in line at the shoe store. "Oh no, should I really...skip a party and study for this test even though I'm pretty sure I'll fail if I don't, ...go to work today because this shift is going to suck, ...bring up this problem I have with this relationship because it may cause problems."

And then you have that ping of regret when you stay home and study, or you decide to go to work, or you decide to start that fight with your significant other.

And then you think "what the actual heck have I done" when you encounter your first difficult study problem. "What the actual heck have I done" when your feet start to hurt during that shift at work. "What the actual heck have I done" when your significant other begins to fight back about the simple problem you brought up.

The blisters ARE real.

It's difficult, and it sucks, and it hurts, but you made the commitment. You made the choice. You signed up for that class. You need that job. You love your significant other and just want to be happy. You took that risk.

The blisters ARE real, but...

It'll all pay off in the end. You'll pass that test. Your next paycheck will be bangin'. Your significant other and you will love each other just as you always have, if not even more.

The blisters WERE real.

The blisters came and went, and you are a stronger person because of them. You'll have plenty more in your life, you'll buy more shoes. But you have to remember why you made the commitment and why you took the risk in the first place.

Embrace the process.

Go all in.

Let the blisters be real. Let them come. Let them go. Let them heal. Let yourself heal.

Because that is what it means to live.

Look badass in those new VANS, even if you have to wear bandaids for a while.