As a college sophomore, I moved in my first year with a fresh face, a bright attitude, and what I felt was a strong sense of who I was. Having participated in peer leadership programs in high school, I felt as though I had a strong sense of my values and what I wanted to do going forward and college felt like a solidified step in the right direction at the time.

Now, moving into my dorm early to be staffing orientation for my university, I have realized that already I have shifted so many of my goals and my perspectives alike.

The biggest thing I've learned?

It's okay not to know, and it's especially okay to be wrong sometimes.

We're human and imperfections make up key aspects of who we are, and it's okay to give ourselves the slack to not always know the right things to say or the way to say them.

Hard conversations are often left unsaid because of uncertainty, and relationships can be jeopardized because of the fear of saying too much or never saying enough. I have learned through trial and error that it's okay to be wrong and to fail (a few times), and especially to embrace what I have and what I've been given.

There is always something to be grateful for, and finding a way to show my appreciation and love for others has fueled a stronger love for myself.

Sometimes it's hard to let go; I have always been the type of person who likes to have a plan and know what's going on, taking responsibility that shouldn't fall onto me and being disappointed with the outcomes when I can't handle it all.

What's important is to realize that there are things we can and cannot control, but to embrace the unknown and do the best we can.

As I have begun to learn how to work independent from my family, and find the passions that spur me on, I've realized just how fast every day moves. Because of this, I've chosen to acknowledge the people in my life that have affected me, both positively and negatively, to shape me into who I am today because I wouldn't be myself without them.

Now, I try to tell everyone I know, love, and work with how much I appreciate them.

The reward?

I have learned all the ways that I have influenced people's lives, and it's shown me how much bigger the world is beyond myself. How every action has an impact on my friends, community, country, and earth.

Every choice we make must be selected, with care and forethought, and no matter how daunting that sounds, it's also empowering and has allowed me to take charge of the future with a strength I couldn't have imagined in high school.

Through collaboration with intelligent, loving, and compassionate individuals throughout all of the activities I've had the fortune of being a part of, I've found how to let myself be more vulnerable.

And that's the true answer to learning how to smile through anything that comes my way; ask for help, know yourself, find your niche, and do what you love.

With this, there's no way that you can't succeed with a smile on your face!