Joy is not is things; it is in us. -Richard Wagner

I've been thinking a lot lately about who I have been in the past and who I am today.
It seems as though every year I learn so much about myself and about life. Each time I think there is nothing else to learn, I am bombarded with new information. Also, I have realized just how sweet life is.

Who I used to be (in few words) is someone who let everyone walk all over her. I used to feel like I deserved it, really. I felt as though the only way to make people happy was to always please them and never have a moment for myself because I felt as though I was being selfish. I had little confidence and a lack of sense os self. I was overweight and unhappy with it and struggling with my purpose on this earth. This was only a few years ago in highschool.

Who I am today is someone who has struggled through a huge weight loss and the beginnings of a disorder that haunted me for about 2 years and I came out on top with a new feeling of confidence and a realization at the power I have to make change in my own life. Today, I still struggle with my people pleasing tendencies, but I can't help but love to see other happy. I've realized that change is a hard thing, but a good thing. I have a passion for people and a love of human rights. I now know that I don't have to be a replica of my parents and that is okay. I am my own person: I have my own politcal, religious, and social beliefs. I love Jesus Christ with my whole heart, but I will not bang a Bible over your head. I believe that service and loving on others is the best way to show the love of God. I come to appreciate and love a conversation over coffee.  I now know that I do have a purpose here and I'm beginning to see it through loved ones in my life and through my studies at school. I realize that I have a lot of life ahead of me and that it can change any day. I am a hippie at heart who loves nothing more than to run through a meadow in the mountains. This is my happy place: mountains. I cannot wait to see where God takes me.

It is funny to look at how much I've changed. Yes, I struggle with things of my past on a daily basis, but they no longer hold me back. I am so thankful for who God has made me and who He is making me to be.

Life is an exciting adventure. This rollercoaster full of ups and downs is a constant loop of change and potential. Enjoy it. It is so very short.