This semester has taught me quite a bit. The past four months or so have come equipped with plenty of little lessonls. The one lesson that stood out the most is this: life does not always go as planned. In fact, life RARELY goes as planned.

Believe me, I know. Cars break down. Homework assignments meander from our original plans. Family tragedies happen when we least expect it. Financial issues creep up just when we think everything is going exactly as planned. Things fall apart. That’s just part of life, like it or not.

Life’s unexpected nature does not mean we should just let ourselves get lost in the tide. We are all, every one of us, strong human beings who are capable of withstanding just about anything that life throws at us.

The thing is, a lot of us don’t realize yet how strong we are.

Do me a favor. Right here, right now. Take a break from whatever you’ve got going on in your life. Don’t think about that enormous final project you have due for that class you’ve been having trouble in all semester. For the moment, just forget about trying to figure out how you’re going to balance life, work and school. Definitely don’t even consider worrying about next semester. Take a break from all that, just for a few moments.

Trust me. This will be worth it.

Take a moment or two. Make sure you’re either by yourself or will not be interrupted by anyone. Go to the bathroom, or anywhere else in your place of residence where there’s a mirror. Stand in front of that mirror. Do it. Take a good look at the person you see on that shiny surface. Don’t think about your flaws. Forget your flaws. For the sake of this exercise, not to mention the grand scheme of things, your flaws are irrelevant. They shouldn’t mean anything.

Think about your strengths and talents. We all have them, after all. Think about your friends. Think about your family. Think about all the things that make you smile, especially taking into consideration all the little things. Now, I want you to look at your reflection. You should be able to see yourself, and see that you are truly a beautiful person. Smile. You deserve it.

We all have an infinite number of things going on in our lives. If we weren’t all busy in some way, life would be boring. The problem is being too busy can make us forget how awesomesauce we are. Stress can do that but we don’t have to let stress get the best of us. So, when you find yourself starting to feel blue, take a breather. Think about how amazing you are. Know that you are not alone. Know that you are loved.

I hope that my words have helped people feel better, especially in what has been a fairly rough semester. Take a deep breath, smile and remember that it’s almost over. The holidays are creeping ever closer, giving us all a much needed break from life’s hassles. Take advantage of that break. Spend time with family.

Have fun. Don’t worry. Don’t forget to smile. Above all else, never forget that you are awesomesauce.