To the one that is Struggling..

To all of the you who are struggling and are just trying to achieve your goals - I’m right there with you.

This is just a bunch of simple and cliché words written by a struggler attempting to give advice to a fellow struggler, but I swear I mean well. So here goes nothing (maybe even something really bad).

It's starting to become hard to explain why it's worth all the hardship. The finish line is blurry and the road only seems to be getting longer.

You're sorry to the family members you've lashed out at for no reason. You're sorry to the friends you've ditched. You're sorry to the significant other you've neglected so that you could focus on what you're working towards.

But it ends. Trust me. And you're looking back at all you did, all you accomplished, and ironically.. you reminisce on every second.

Think about it. You've come so far since this time last year. Take it all in. Every sleepless night, every tear, every mental breakdown, every time you almost quit. You made it. There will be more, I won't lie. But those are over and you're still standing and the world is still spinning. And it will continue to spin, I promise.

I won't elaborate on my struggles, but I can say that this time in your life is crucial for the growth and the development of your character. Quit now and you will always think it's okay to quit. If it's getting to be too much, reach out to someone, there is no shame in that.

Mental health is absolutely positively a real and important factor to your well-being. Your mental health status is impacted by the amount of stress and anxiety you allow yourself to go through every day. I turned into someone I did not recognize only because I chose to go months without giving myself a break. I urge you to take care of yourself or you'll become someone you thought you'd never become. There is strength in knowing your limits and there is dignity in asking for help and knowing when you need to take a few steps back and rest your mind.

Develop a support system and cling to them. You cannot do this on your own, don't think you can and don't give yourself that much credit. It's unhealthy and you will be unsuccessful.

I don't know if your religious, but find significance and beauty in something greater than you. It doesn't have to be a higher power, but there is peace in having an outlet to channel your energy, thankfulness, anxiety, etc. into. Go outside and get some air. Look at the sky, look at the ocean, pray if you're into that. You need to remember it's not just you in this big world. Get out of your head and find something to anchor yourself to when the thoughts get overwhelming and you start to get tossed around by life.

Don't think you have to wake up every single morning with a purpose. Turn your alarm off at least once a week. Do nothing. Eat some junk. Watch 30 episodes of Friends' and tell the outside world to piss off. But then, when the next morning comes, get up and go make something of yourself. You'll be surprised what a mental time-out will do for your life. Success is pointless if you don't take care of yourself, love the person you are, and slow down enough to enjoy individual moments.

I'm not saying not to push yourself, but just make sure your goals are attainable and are what YOU want, not just what will impress the people around you. If everyone around you disappeared along with their opinions and it was just you, would you still want to do the thing your working toward, and would you still want to be the person that you are right now?

If you continue to compare yourself and your achievements to others' you will continue to be unsuccessful. Success, goals, abilities, and achievements are individualized. You cannot attain theirs’ and they cannot attain yours.

Here's the thing about time, it always implies that there is a start and finish to every event in life. It also implies that someone is either early, on time, or late. In my opinion, this doesn't apply when it comes to working towards your goals in life. Age is but a number, and time is completely irrelevant. The only relevant aspect to any of this is that you started. You took the initiative to develop a plan and start working towards your goals. You're not early, you're not late, you are simply an ambitious individual who decided to do something with yourself and I respect the hell out of you for it. Whether it's education, your dream job, a hobby you decided to make more out of, whatever it may be you didn't let the circumstances of life hold you back. And to that I say, congratulations. I am so proud.

Be so proud of yourself. It's okay to do that. Whoever you are reading this. No matter your circumstance, what it is that you're working towards or trying to achieve, or where you are in your journey.. I am so proud of you. It takes a lot of courage, ambition, strength, and perseverance to do what you're doing. You can quit at any moment, no one will stop you and the door is always open to leave. But that's why you always look back and realize where you're standing today. And where you'll stand tomorrow. Until day by day you're finished and you'll be glad you kept going. My God you will be so glad.

I hope after reading all of this you've felt a little less alone in your circumstances. I am by no means done with all the struggles in my life, but I have made it to the other side of the mountain I was facing, and I want you to know that you can to. You're not alone. You will never be alone. You will always have enough strength to push through. And every day you will realize that you're even stronger than you thought you were. Push your limits, know when to give it a rest, don't give up, and for God's sake just go outside and do something you love every now and then. Studying and working IS NOT a personality trait.