In life, I've found that there are generally two camps of people: the Lucks and the Destinies. The Lucks believe that your fate is not set in stone, but instead, certain events happen to you throughout your life that constantly change the path that you are following. The Destinies, on the other hand, believe that no matter which path you follow, the same things await you at each turn, indiscriminate of the actions you did took to get there.

These two ways of thinking are comforting to most people, but for the exact reason that others find solace, I find fault and unease.

The main flaw with these ways of thinking is that life happens to you. You have no control over life and it just affects you; therefore, you take no responsibility in the events or occurrences in your life. I can see why this aspect is appealing to most; I didn't get the job because it wasn't supposed to happen for me, I didn't win because I was unlucky that day — you get the gist. Don't get me wrong, I completely understand that sometimes, things just don't go your way, and that's out of your control. But, believing that you have a destiny waiting for you, or some cosmic force was the reason that things played out how they did, seems completely wrong to me.

Growing up, it was imprinted on me that you and only you can make things happen for yourself. Whether through teachings or real life experience, I learned this to be true. To be truly successful, you have to take life by the reigns and steer it in the direction that you need it to go; you can't wait for life to happen to you. After I understood this fact, I discovered the importance of branding yourself.

Branding yourself means portraying and carrying yourself in a way that will help and push you towards getting what you aim for — deciding your "brand." You choose what happens to you because you and you alone are controlling the physical and mental aspects of yourself.

Humans are visual creatures, and first impressions are very important to our cultures. We pick up on the bigger things like appearance right off, but we also notice other subconscious cues and ticks. For example, when you meet someone for the first time, what do you look for to make a judgement on the person? You might not even notice what you're looking for, as it only takes a few seconds to receive that first impression. Either way, that first impression gets made. Usually, we take a top-down approach. We start with their face: are they attractive to you? Do they look well put together? Do they have a personal style? What do their eyes do when you speak with them — is there a lot of eye contact, or do they avoid your gaze? What color are their facial features, do you know anyone else they resemble? Then, you move down to their body: what are they wearing? Do you like their outfit? Again, are they well put together? Does this remind you of anyone you know? Last, their feet. Yes — you even analyze their feet, even if you don't realize it. If anything — what kind of shoes are they wearing? All of these questions, plus more, you've thought of and answered in under half a minute.

I'd like to put a disclaimer here. Of course, first impressions are important. Due to the nature of a first impression, usually surface qualities are the ones being evaluated, as you can't get down to the nitty-gritty and really get to know a person in the first 30 seconds you see them. Appearance should not be the only thing you care about, both when judging yourself or others. But, it is definitely a key factor in branding yourself.

If you've ever been told the wisdom, "Dress for the job you want," then you'll understand what I'm trying to express here. When you decide your brand, you want it to be true to you and your goals, and the way you present yourself should aid this goal. So, if you want to be taken seriously when on the road to attaining your goal, your first impression will aid your journey rather than go against it.

That takes care of the outside part of branding yourself. Now, the inside. This part is harder, but the most important — digging deep and finding the fuel to push you to your goals.

You have to internalize the fact that you control your fate. After you understand this, you can live this motto out. There's no faking it until you make it here — the people that are truly successful and happy in life are the ones that push themselves to accomplish what they desire rather than waiting for the things they want. You have to set your sights, and then mentally prepare yourself to take the necessary actions to get there. Sometimes we shortchange ourselves because we don't believe we have what it takes to do something, or we don't have enough luck. Well, I don't believe that luck happens to you. Rather, I'd like to believe that you make your own luck. You're capable of so many things; you just have to have the drive to get there. It takes hard work, but if you're mentally prepared for it, you can do almost anything.

In our world, there are so many people fighting for the same things that you are that success isn't just going to fall into your lap. To beat out the competition, you have to be more prepared. This includes willing to work harder than your competitors, but if you can brand yourself the right way, it can take some of the work away and help you get your foot in the door. Sometimes, that's all you need — getting your foot in the door. Once there, you can really show your stuff.

If you take anything from this article, let it be this: be proactive, and don't sit back and let life happen to you. By then, life is already passing you by. Don't miss out when you don't have to, OK? The key is inside you. Keep on chugging away — you can do this.