I have always been a people pleaser. I used to care about what everyone thought, beyond my friends and family. I think that comes from high school. We are around people that constantly judge every move that we make. What we decide to do for hobbies, who our friends are, and what we do with our friends.. It’s like we can’t make a move without feeling pressure of doing something wrong. Getting ridiculed for everything you do almost seemed normal, but then when that high school bubble busted reality smacked me harder in the face than I could have ever imagined. Some people realize it in high school, others realize it a few years after, and some sad souls never seem to realize it. If I listened to what everyone thought I should be doing, I would not be writing; and writing makes me the happiest version of myself. I was told writing was stupid, a waste of time, but the people who said those things don't really matter. I have learned that the people that tear your ideas down aren’t worth it. Yes, it is hard to live for yourself; it is hard to want to go against what everyone else is doing because ending up like a failure doesn't look good on anyone. With that being said, failure is part of success, and I don't mean that in a business standpoint, I mean success in that you became the best version of yourself. Go after your dreams and don't let anyone stop you. Be prepared to fail more times than you can count because each time you fail you learn and become that much stronger. The phrase “in order for everything to come together, things need to fall apart first.” is my quote for life. Just when I feel like everything is about to completely crash and burn I see some light and I know that going after what I want will be worth it. Life is too short to not go after a dream because you care what other people think. I would rather live a life that I can laugh at all the stupid things I tried than regret that I didn’t do something years later. No matter what you do, do it with pride, and never ever give up because I promise, it will all be worth it.