Throughout my life, God has given me small glimpses that have reflected an idea of what I thought I wanted my life to be like. These snapshots of our lives can reiterate what we want in life or completely change it all together. People I have met, relationships I have been in and my own experiences have often impacted and changed the way I now see my life. I have had my fair share of ups and downs, especially in these first two years of college.

Growing up, I had this picture-perfect idea of how my life should be. We all do. It only took one year in college for me to realize that the ideas I had of a picture-perfect life may not be the best thing for me. The flaw in the mindset of thinking there is "a picture-perfect life" is the idea of limiting our viewpoint to only of humanly nature. My plan for my life is nothing compared to what God is doing and trying to show me in His.

Speaking honestly for myself, I have a tendency to let my highs be too high and my lows be too low. I have let experiences good and bad get the best of me.

I heard the words of a very influential person point out that often we use the phrase "too good to be true" in times of happiness. This phrase highlights a problem in the society we are living in. We never hear the phrase "too bad to be true," so why live with such a resisting attitude, evaluating the happy times so much that you cannot even enjoy them?

It often seems like the negative and the stressful things of life seem to be what drive our thoughts as individuals. The things we have to do instead of what we want to do. The things we don't have as opposed to what we do have. We often do not appreciate the road that has been laid out for us to be able to live a life actually for what we believe in, what we feel and what we love.

The idea of instant gratification is something that I have struggled with personally. It is impossible to figure out every aspect of life all at once. If this were the case we would have no stories to tell, no lessons to be learned and no takeaways that would help build us into who we are. Life itself is not easy, but no one said it was ever going to be easy. It is filled with struggles, trials and tribulations. Trials and tribulations that, when we go through them, seem like everything, but will eventually lead us to learn life lessons and even allow for a place of contentment and happiness.

Life is not about comparing who has suffered the most or who has had the most success but living a life that is pleasing to the one above and one that you would be proud of living. The struggles that we endure are not meant to ruin our lives, but to better who we are. Get rid of the superficial picture-perfect image. Life is a beautiful struggle. Accept it and enjoy it.