I am almost certain you have heard the phrase “Life works in mysterious ways.” It is very accurate; after all, life is all about the unknown. It is not knowing what is around every corner. It is experiencing the twists and turns in the moment. Even more than the unknown though, life is about figuring out what you are made of. It is about building your own brand and working to keep your individuality intact. It is standing out when the whole world would rather you follow its lead. It is about standing firmly in what you believe in when the rest of the world would rather see your mouth sealed shut with the world’s strongest duct tape.

It is about refusing to give up when the devil on your shoulder would rather you throw in the towel and just give up. The easy way is what we would all prefer anyway, but it is not always the best route and will often lead you astray. It is about being lead into those scary destinations. It is about escaping those dark and lonely woods and coming through unscathed. It is about seeing the joy in other people’s eyes. It is about being authentically happy and feeling your own heart jump for joy. It is about being selfless in an incredibly unforgiving and wild world.
It is about wanting to touch others in a world where many would rather just continue to live in the malicious violence, where all love has vanished, and kindness is a thing of the past.

The brutal truth, though, is that we all start out with a blank canvas. It is ultimately up to us to paint our canvas in the way that we see fit. The choices we make and the goals we have all help contribute to our canvas. The influences that we have also help direct our lives in a certain or rather uncertain direction. There are certainly things that influence the way in which our life is conducted.

However, when it comes down to it, our life is up to us.

We cannot depend on others to live our lives for us. It is up to us to try and steady our foundation so that we can perform and deliver at an optimum level. Life, especially in America, is about chasing your dream. It is about what ignites and awakens your soul and chasing after that thing until you are left breathless. It is about building a name for yourself and doing everything humanly possible to keep your name and your brand reputable.

Whether we like it or not, life is about competing. I honestly do not really care for this particular aspect. Only the strongest survive, though, and unfortunately, there has to be a way to measure up to others when applying for jobs and the like. This is not done to damage, although, if not done carefully, it could do just that. It is done ultimately to see where your piece of the puzzle fits and where your perspective will shine.