There are plenty of things to be terrified of in our lives. A lot of the fear we allow to grow in our hearts is at least somewhat warranted with the looming thoughts of our futures dripping over us. Who will we marry? Will we get the perfect job we pursued over the course of our lives? Is it too soon or too late to be successful? Or have we just been wasting our time?

It comes across as rather negative, but that doesn't mean there isn't some sense of realism beneath the surface. However, there is optimism to be had here and there can be comfort in the panic.

Where are our lives headed?

Perhaps the biggest fear of them all: is there any purpose behind the things I have spent my life doing? The future can be both terrifying and beautiful for the same reason--it is unknown. That's half of the fun of our existence. Where we go and who we want to take with us is completely up to us to decide.

You're going to do things that you regret, and it will hurt, but it will only help you grow and refrain from taking the same steps later. You will be a part of many things that are worth celebrating, and these activities will push you further in the right direction.

Ultimately the choices are ours to make, and the future is uncertain. Why should that have to be a bad thing?

Are we pushing ourselves too hard?

It actually is completely within the realm of possibility to push yourself a bit too far in certain situations. Self-motivation is a wonderful thing, and if you keep up with it you can do great things, but don't bite off more than you can chew at one time.

One does not simply define what this could mean as every individual has different limits to how much they can take at once, but it is important that you learn yours and keep a balance between progress and relaxing.

Genuine mental health starts with you and you alone.

Be yourself. Love yourself. Stop worrying so much about what your elders pressure you to be and focus on the future that you want for yourself.

Now, you must do your part to keep a level head and keep a realistic mindset. Don't walk around expecting results to be handed to you on a silver platter, and don't expect anyone else to do the brunt work for you. You can't feel any of the reward if all of the effort is put in by those around you.

There are many different components for what comes together to create a stable healthy mindset, and these topics are what I have spent my time focusing on in my writing, whether for the Odyssey or not. I don't do this without purpose--these subjects are legitimately fascinating to me and as someone with close encounters with many of them, I can't keep myself from writing about them.

To put it simply, to embrace a future of mental health, you have to be willing to do the work for yourself. On top of everything else, you and ONLY you can take the first step in seeking and accepting assistance with your struggles and your fears. Don't allow yourself to be scared of getting results.

The future is a mystery waiting for us to explore every inch, and until we accept its challenge, we can never leave the box we shut ourselves in. It all begins and ends with you. Will you step up, or will you hold back? Sooner or later, we are all faced with that choice.