Do you value your successes or failures more? Why?

“I think the easy answer to this is just to say that I value my failures more because they gave me an opportunity to grow and learn. But just leaving my answer at that would be a cop-out. I value my successes too, because they serve as a reminder that I can do the things that I set out to do. If I only failed and never succeeded, I have to admit that after awhile I would become discouraged, but every success, even the little ones, remind me that all the failures are worth it.”

Is there something that you feel you were meant to do or be?

“I’ve struggled a lot in the last four years, and if there is one thing I’ve come out of it with, it’s the resolve to make life more bearable for the other people who struggle just to get out of bed in the morning. I feel like I’m meant to be here to help people feel better, more complete, or to even just be someone who makes them smile. In some way or another, I know I am meant to make life better for others.”

What drives you to do better at something?

“My motivation to do well at things has changed as I’ve gotten older. When I was young, parental approval drove me, just anything to make my parents proud. Now as I’ve gotten older, my drive comes more from a place inside me, seeking my own satisfaction rather than others’. I still strive to make my parents proud, but now I also do things to make myself proud. Wanting the most out of life and for myself drives me to be the best that I can be, and if I prove the people who doubt me wrong along the way, even better.”

If karma were coming back to you, would it help or hurt you?

“I like to think that karma would help me because, like most people, I like to believe that I’m a good person. Whether I really am or not is anyone’s guess, but as of right now, I think eventually it has to make an appearance and help me out.”

What do you want most out of life?

“Maybe this answer is cliché, but I just want to be happy, and I want the people I love to be happy. There’s nothing I want more than to go through life satisfied with what I have and bring joy to the people around me.”

When did you last push the boundaries of your comfort zone?

“I think that I’m currently in the process of pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone by taking a gap year. I’m agreeing to go live in a country I’ve never been to with people I’ve never met to basically be a nanny. That’s terrifying, but I’m going to do it anyway.”

What have you given up on?

“I’ve given up on trying to make everyone happy. That doesn’t mean I don’t still try to make other people happy at all, especially those close to me, but I have given up trying to please everyone I come across. I’ve learned that it’s okay to put my own wellbeing first sometimes.”

What are you holding onto that you feel you need to let go of?

“I’m aware that I’m making the mistake that most young adults make of romanticizing the future. I’m all bright-eyed and bushy tailed, excited to take on the world, make my own decisions, be my own boss, and all that jazz. I’m also aware that I’m holding onto this idea of a future that only exists in the ideal, and no matter how much I want the ideal to be true, the reality is that adulting is probably not going to be as much fun as I want it to be. Yes, I have the ability to make my future exciting and fulfilling, but it’s not going to be like an episode of Friends, and it certainly won’t come without a lot of hard work.”