I’ve been contemplating a lot lately and the conclusion I have come to is important. I’ve realized that things are hard; it is difficult to live on your own for several years while going to school a few hundred miles from any given relative (at best). It’s hard to keep it up; it’s hard to survive while struggling for money, it’s hard to make straight As while doing so, and lastly it feels nearly impossible to get out of that situation, because it feels like a never-ending downward spiral. Where do I work…Where can I afford to live…Oh, well if I can’t afford anything, then I have to find a second job until I make enough at one workplace to survive, but then what about school? And then you feel stuck… Honestly though, I have to tell you that experiences like these teach you what really matters, and I’m grateful for that, because realizing how lucky you are even when you are at your lowest is the most valuable lesson you can ever learn. This is why we are here – to appreciate the little things and pass on that gratefulness to others, because happiness and love are the only two real things we will ever experience. They are felt by our soul while money, stress, and time are merely physical entities that won’t necessarily matter when we are old and look back on our lives. Take the time to consider what you have and all of the things that you do not want that you do not have. Think about the place you get to rest your head beyond harm… Your passion(s) in life… The things that drive you to hold on to life when you feel like everything else is gone… The people who understand you better than you understand yourself… And the few people who give you selfless advice, but understand that you will make your own choices and still won’t judge you. Look up at the sun and feel the breeze.. Look up at the stars and the moonlit trees and realize that there was about a one in 400 trillion chance of your coming into being, and yet you’re here… So go chase the things you love, let go of the things that make you unhappy, and just live