I got to thinking about this. I am not ready to make nice, in the oh-so eloquent words of the Dixie Chicks. Sometimes we can’t make up. Sometimes we can’t forgive. We might try to forget, but that might be the end of it. But the most powerful thing we can do is move on. If we aren’t willing to forgive, we have to forget. We don’t have to be nice; we have to be courteous and poised. But we certainly don’t have to let our hearts go anywhere our heads are telling us to run from. We don’t always have to make nice. But also, don’t be “mad as hell” forever.

I got to thinking about pushing away dreams. Most of us do this; we seek the easier, safer route. We let go of our dreams because people tell us we can’t make it into a future. And we listen. We fall into a hole of doubt because those people have our best interests at heart. Right? Absolutely not. We control our future. We shouldn’t listen to anything but our own hearts. If we don’t follow our dreams, we will be left with regret. No one else will have these regrets. No one else will hate their jobs as much as we do. We must take a chance, even if everyone else is telling us no. Don’t push away the dream. Always follow your heart. If you’re destined for greatness, you will reach it.

I got to thinking about suffocating. There are days I feel like life is swallowing me whole; there are days where I feel carefree and believe anything can happen. But the former days make me feel like suffocating. I feel as if I cannot get out of the situation; I feel I am in limbo. Does the suffocating ever stop? Will those carefree days become few and far between? I worry that I will be suffocating for awhile. It’s the end of the suffocation that I look forward to. And I know that day is imminent; I have faith. I must be patient.

I got to thinking about an ordinary life. Most of us lead these: 9 to 5 jobs, getting married, having children, dying with our spouses, and everything else in between. While this ordinary life is fulfilling to most, I wouldn’t say it would be for me. I want something more. I want to go down in history as an acclaimed writer. I want people to know and remember my name. This is not to say I don’t want these ordinary things, but I surely want something more. I have never done anything the conventional way, and I don’t plan on starting now. I won’t be ordinary. I refuse it. I will achieve my dreams. And you know why? I can’t possibly imagine not.

I got to thinking about impressions. Making a first impression is imperative when it comes to just about everything: finding friends, job interviews, meeting the parents. But sometimes we sacrifice ourselves in order to impress others. We put up a front that is nothing short of fake. We tailor our opinions and ideas. We seek respect. But what we don’t seem to realize is that we are much more deserving of respect if we put ourselves out there first. While we shouldn’t press heavy topics right off the bat, we should always remember to be who we are. That will impress anyone; that takes courage, and will always earn respect.

I got to thinking about long distance relationships. Or LDRs, as Glamour has named these. I am about to embark upon a long distance relationship. I don’t know what to expect. I don’t know how sad or lonely or calm I’ll be. But I do know something: I know that people do this everyday. Why would it be different with us? We can conquer anything. We aren’t like everybody else. We can do anything. And at the end of the day, that is my relief. That’s what will get me through these next several months.

I got to thinking about being snubbed. I was snubbed recently. A girl I grew up with, one of the meanest girls I’ve ever known, didn’t acknowledge my presence on her special day. Let’s be clear: I was invited to this celebration by her mother, but it would’ve been nice to be acknowledged, to say thank you for attending. She also snubbed my parents. While I was rather certain this would happen, I wanted her to prove me wrong. I wanted her to show that she isn’t the meanest girl I know anymore. But she didn’t. And I cannot say I am surprised. Very disappointing. End of rant.

I got to thinking about traveling. I haven’t had the wonderful opportunity that of my peers to travel the world. I haven’t been to Europe or Asia or Australia. I haven’t seen the world outside of the United States and Canada. While my travels to these places have left nothing but fondness in my heart, I yearn to see more. I yearn to see the world. I don’t know how non-Westerners live; I would love to find out.

I got to thinking about trust. How do you know who to trust? Who is reliable? Who will be there for you no matter what? Do you follow your heart? Your head? Is your intuition always right? I think that trust shouldn’t be based on logic; trust shouldn’t be based on past events. Trust is about the now. And that certainly means you must trust your heart. You already know who to trust.

I got to thinking about being one thing. Are we defined by one thing? Is there an element to our personalities, our lives, that make us who we are? Or is there so much more to people than one thing? I’d like to believe that I am not just defined by the things I am good at: writing, being a human GPS and calendar. But somehow, we all get pigeon-holed in that one thing that makes us special. And sometimes that’s okay. This is where we thrive; this is where we belong. But I find it challenging and hopeful to not define myself, or anyone else, by one thing. We are so much more than that. We have stories to tell. And these stories are not simply about one thing.