My whole life, I was told that I was too impulsive, that I made snap decisions, or that I didn't think things through carefully enough. It's the reason I dye my hair so many different colors or spend my money excessively or take huge risks. It was usually chalked up to the fact that I was a teenager, but when I started to near my 20s, I realized it wasn't going to fly anymore.

I'm really just an easily-excited person. I'm that girl at the theater who freaks out more over the previews than the actual movie and who you wish so desperately you could kick in the back of the head while they hyperventilate over a 30-second teaser trailer.

I'm also an ambitious person, which can be challenging when combined with impulse because I often jump into situations I'm unprepared for and find myself overwhelmed pretty quickly. A lot of the times, when faced with a crossroads, I don't think — I just do.

Until recently, I didn't realize just how much this benefitted me. I saw myself as irresponsible until I started to recognize the accomplishments I've come by when I allowed myself to act on impulse.

This semester, I took on one too many jobs and was up to my ears in stress each and every day, but I achieved an enormous amount of success between articles that I had published, nationally recognized columns I wrote, and social media attention I commanded. I grasped every opportunity that came my way until I physically couldn't handle any more because I just couldn't say no, my brain wouldn't let me.

When you stop to think about the negative outcomes in a potential situation, it can hinder you. Our fear gets in the way too often and prevents us from experiencing things we really want out of fear of failure. My impulsive attitude helped me to find adventure in times when my life felt mundane.

My impulsiveness has led me to places I never would have dreamed. When I was in high school, I decided I wanted to go to a music festival in another state, so I devised a plan to save all of my money that year and I made it happen. When I was a freshman in college, I desperately wanted to be in shape, so I cut the crap and made some changes. More recently, I'm being drawn toward international travel, and just the spark of interest helped me to develop a feasible plan of action.

All of these things flourished from a snap decision that I wanted to do something. And although it's important to be prepared, sometimes it's just as important to be present during the journey.

Being impulsive adds excitement to my life and gives me the opportunity to make illogical decisions that lead me to the most unique of adventures. And for that, I'm proud.