I got to thinking about hiding. We all hide behind something every day. Sometimes we hide behind our friends because it’s just too hard to branch out. Sometimes we hide behind our feelings, not wanting to admit that we’re dying inside. Sometimes we just hide our sad eyes behind sunglasses. And sometimes hiding is cathartic. But it’s certainly not cathartic when you’re hiding who you are. You don’t need to hide. You have to be who you are, let the world see your individuality and creativeness. Even if that means you have to do something unfavorable. You have to be yourself. If you aren’t, what else is there?

I got to thinking about being left out. That really hurts my feelings. You decided not to include me, like I was something that could be thrown to the wayside. Is that what you think of me? Is this how you see our friendship? And I never would’ve expected that from you. Maybe from her, but certainly not from you. I know that I should forgive you. Forgive and forget. But sometimes that doesn’t come easily. You broke my heart. And now I have to pick up the pieces. I hope you understand.

I got to thinking about living in the wrong century. I think I’m living in the wrong century. I’ve always been one of those people who believes that life was much simpler in the 1950s, the 1880s. There wasn’t technology; I’d be okay without the latest technology. But since I live in this technology-obsessed world, there’s a reason to have technology in my life, even if I’d much rather avoid it altogether. There also wasn’t an expectation to be rich and successful and perfectly thin and happy all the time. Life was about surviving. And honestly, I still think this is the most important thing to life. Unfortunately, society doesn’t share my views. If only I could make a time machine and see the world decades and decades ago… what would I think if I could travel back?

I got to thinking about resentment. We’ve all resented someone. We’ve all probably been resented, with or without our knowledge. Resentment is the most harmful when it comes into our romantic relationships. We shouldn’t expect our significant others to be anything other than themselves. So why do we? We hope that they’ll get the biggest paycheck in town or be the most respected person in the state. But what we don’t realize is that this is ultimately what we want for ourselves. It’s easier to wish they’ll get it. Our work is done. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. If we want the biggest paycheck in our home, or whatever other goal we’re seeking, we have to go out and get it. We can’t resent other people for not getting what we want. And that shouldn’t make us love them any less. If we want something, we sure as hell better get it.

I got to thinking about reliability. It’s a shame, it seems like reliability is not something parents teach their kids anymore. And I wonder why? When I find someone who’s reliable, I cling to them. I love this quality. I love that they’ll be there for me, for us, no matter what. So if you’re one of those people isn’t reliable—learn something from those who are. It’s an invaluable quality that can change your relationships, career, and state of mind. All for the better.

I got to thinking about the twenty-something panic. Our twenties are supposed to be this great time when we can still eat what we want without having to run a marathon the next day, when we can change career paths without a skeptical onlooker saying something pessimistic, and when we’re figuring out our love lives.

But there’s so much more to it. This is truly a time of panic. We feel like we have to figure everything out fast. If we aren’t engaged by 27, like the rest of our friends, we feel inadequate. And I’ll be honest: I’m starting to panic. I’m ready to turn 30, even though that’s several years away! However, what we have to realize is that our twenties can be about getting our lives together. We don’t have to know everything yet. I’m sure I’ll panic throughout my twenties, but knowing that I don’t need to have everything figured out right away brings a sense of peace.

I got to thinking about frozen moments in time. These are the moments that have defined us. These are the moments we’ll always wish we could travel back to. These are the moments we’ll always remember. Frozen moments in time are the memories that will last a lifetime. These memories might be small; they might be life-changing. Nevertheless, these are the moments that have made us who we are today. And for that, we must remember them. But at the same time, we have to realize that we can never go back. We must go forward and cherish the moments fondly.

I got to thinking about odds. Winning the lottery is a slim odd. Becoming a billionaire is a slim odd. Giving birth to quadruplets is a slim odd. So are creative paths just like these odds? Can we ever attain our lofty dreams of becoming actors, writers, and singers? As we see all around us, there are some people who beat these odds. There are those who dream these so-called lofty things and make it there, quickly, or very slowly. We shouldn’t concern ourselves with odds. You should seek the dreams that have encapsulated your mind. Always. And without apologizes. You have a chance of getting what you want. You just have to be brave enough to fight for those dreams.

I got to thinking about cheating. There are those who cheat on tests just to ensure the requisite grade. There are those who cheat to get ahead in the workplace. There are those who cheat the economic system to make more money than owed. And there are those who cheat on their significant others. All of this is cheating, albeit cheating in vastly different ways. But at the core of cheating: is there guilt? Is there hopefulness? And are all cheaters the same? Is there something inside them that’s just slightly off center, or are they just like the rest of us, just trying to get more out of this life?

I got to thinking about Plan A. We all have two plans in life. Most of us want something more than just a desk job we aren’t passionate about. Some of us follow that path. We take the easy way, following our Plan B, thinking that Plan A is too ambitious and completely unattainable. But what I’ve learned recently: we have to go after our dreams. Our dreams are attainable. And that can only happen if we put all of our effort into Plan A. Sometimes we have to delete our Plan B to achieve Plan A. There can only be one option in order to succeed. And that’s scary, but it’s always much more rewarding.