I know, I know, I know – “believe in yourself”… so cliché. Hear me out, though, I’m going somewhere with this.

First off, I just want to say HI to you all! I can’t believe how long I’ve been going without posting.

I think the main reason is because I really want to keep this blog to being something I love, not something I have to do. So for that reason, I wait until I’m really truly inspired to give you something. 

As of late, I’ve been having some really serious realizations.
The first: We are growing up faster than we even realize. as terrifying as it is, I’m really embracing this part of my life. While I wholeheartedly love college, I think I’m just getting too old to be living my life with my face buried in a textbook. I’m itching for novelty, and to put it bluntly, I have a serious case of senioritis.
The second: Your 20s are the most confusing decade humanly possible (refer to my ’10 Things You Weren’t Told About Your 20s’ post). The second you think you know who you are or what you want to do, the universe just gives you a big N-O-P-E.
The third: We are capable of so much more than we realize or give ourselves credit for.
I am a prime example of someone who takes on more than she should. I’ve made this pretty clear in a few of my other posts, so I’m only going to touch on it lightly. The reason I bring this up is because I’ve had a pretty big realization the past month: the reason I take on so much is because I can. Even when I am overwhelmed to the point of (what seems like) no return, there is always a little voice deep down saying, “You know you can do it, Taylor.” I never really say to myself “if I give up”, because to me, giving up is never really even considerable.

Now, I hope I don’t sound like I’m writing a ‘300 Words of Why You Should Be Like Taylor’ post, because that isn’t my intention at all. My point is: if you believe you can do it, you really can.

My best friend, Brian, always says this one thing to me that I always kind of brushed off, until I realized how right he was. Whenever I get in a bad place or worry about the future, he says to me, “You know it’s going to work out, it always does.” I always took his advice as, “The future holds good things for you”, but I realized that he meant, “You will figure out a way to keep going. you always do”. And you know what? It is going to work out, because I won’t allow for it not to. And I have to thank you for that, Brian.

I am a firm believer in working for what you want. Granted, people and places offer opportunities You have no control over – but how you approach said opportunities is entirely in your hands.

Good things don’t just fall into your lap. Good things come to those who push their hardest, try, fail, and then try again. I have to say one of the most irritating phrases to me is, “Good things come to those who wait”. (Truly sorry if this is a motto of yours.) To me, that just sounds like, “Well, there’s nothing I can do about it, so i’ll just sit around and hope it happens!” AND THAT GOES AGAINST EVERYTHING I BELIEVE IN!

Bottom line is: you won’t be able to get anything, anywhere, or anyone in your life if you don’t make the effort to do so. I know that sounds harsh, but it’s something you really need to hear. You owe it to yourself, and like I said, you’re so much more capable than you realize. I think self-doubt has got to be the number 1 obstacle when it comes to achieving your goals and fulfilling your ambitions.

So don’t sell yourself short. Seriously. Anyone is capable of being successful in this world and in his or her own life. 

I know it sounds like I’m your own personal cheerleader right now (partly because I am), but I’m taking my own advice as well. I think this really hit me last night: I was up until 3:30 am, into my 6th hour of reading to prepare for my intimate relationships exam, worrying about my internship interview in the morning – when I flat out just said to myself, “Taylor, you’ve got this.” And I truthfully did! Running on four hours of sleep, I nailed the test (knock on wood) and got the internship.

I don’t have any magic powers. I’m not superwoman. I just truly believe in myself. And I couldn’t have gotten to this point without the amazing people in my life constantly building me up on a daily basis. So please, every single one of you, take this post as a personal thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Yours Truly,
Taylor