Sometimes we get so caught up in dreaming about the future or looking at the past that we don't take the time to actually be in the here and now, the present. With 2017 coming to a close and we reflect on the end of the year, attempt to go into 2018 with a mindset of achieving all the things you want. Make the first step towards that goal you've been putting off for days, weeks, even years.

Why wait for your life to happen to you when there's no better time than the now to go after life itself? Recently I finished The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and that was a book that touched me all the way to the core. I hope that by looking at the quotes below that these words will give you the strength and courage to pursue your goal. Pick up the book when you get a chance, an inspiring, thought-provoking story from beginning to end.

1. "'What's the world's greatest lie?" the boy asked, completely surprised. "It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie.'"

Sometimes we have to learn that we need to take life by the reins and control how we want to get things done. I'm into fate/destiny/etc. but I know that I, myself, need to be determined with what I want out of life. We can let things unfold for us but our actions also determine what comes next.

2. "And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."

If you've ever read the book called The Secret by Rhonda Byrnes, the book is all about how the universe manifest anything we want, we just have to do the thinking. If you really want something out of life, the universe will work with you in order to get what you want. Remember though, things take time.

3. "The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon."

This was one of the quotes that stood out to me the most. Sometimes humans spend so much time determining what makes them happy and what happiness means to them while in search of what they want that they forget the small details. Don't forget the small things out of life because they had just as much impact on who you are as the big things.

4. "Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we're living right now."

Pretty self-explanatory quote. Be in the here and now . Live in the present because nothing, not even the future or past, should be the main focus for you. The present is pretty great if you take the time to just sit down and view everything that's right in front of you.

5. "The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better. Forget about the future, and live each day according to the teachings..."

Along with number 4, number 5 is something to take into consideration. Too many times we try to right the future even though we haven't even experienced what the future has in store for us.

6. "'Well, then, why should I listen to my heart?' 'Because you will never again be able to keep it quiet. Even if you pretend not to have heard what it tells you, it will always be there inside you, repeating to you what you're thinking about life and about the world.'"

My favorite quote from this book. Listen to your heart because it has a lot to say. The heart is one of the main sources of why we feel the way we feel. Take care to listen to those dreams and passions of yours.

7. "There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure."

We've all heard a similar saying, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Something to that effect, right? Whatever is stopping you at this moment is the fear that is getting to your head. The worse that could happen is that something doesn't work out, but you'll have so many other opportunities, I promise.

8. "No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn't know it."

Sometimes we may question what our actual purpose on this world is, but everything happens for a reason. And every person is here for a reason, whether big or small. We all impact the way the world works some kind of way.

9. "When you are loved, you can do anything in creation. When you are love, there's no need at all to understand what's happening, because everything happens within you..."

You are loved you are loved you are loved. You are enough and don't think otherwise. We all have the power to love, some of us choose love more than others, but we do have it in us. And I do believe, not just in the relationship sense, is a powerful and scary thing (in a good way) to be a part of us.

10. "When someone sees the same people every day, as had happened with him at the seminary, they wind up becoming a part of that person's life. And then they want the person to change. If someone isn't what others want them to be, the others become angry. Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own."

When I read this quote, I was thinking a lot about some things that had happened to me this past semester, more or less in the year. This quote is most likely relatable to each and every one of us as a person. Too many times people expect us to change who we are, but we can't let them. None of us are the same, and that's good because each of us contributes to this world in our own special way.

So with the above quotes being stated, I hope you find your happiness because you deserve it. No matter what you think, you control your future. Yes, there are the parents, other adults or peers who may tell you otherwise, but if they really and truly love you, they will support you until the very end. Go after those dreams.

Happy New Years!