As an aspiring writer, I always like to try to see things from a more creative point of view. All of my friends and family, the ones that are really important to me, are characters in my big book of life, filling every page with the memories that make me who I am. Some play key roles, and others make casual appearances along the way. But if you imagined yourself pulling out your own Book of Life and sitting down to take the time to read it, where would you stand in terms of importance?

I’ve heard the quote “Don’t be an extra in your own life-story” many times before. In terms of motivational speak, it’s some of the best advice around. However, the first few times I heard it, I completely disregarded it. It’s impossible to not be the lead in your own life story. How could you not be?, is what I used to think at a time in my childhood when I was completely oblivious to the overpowering forces of the outside world. But now that I’m older (and I’d like to think a little wiser, too), I’m starting to realize that the hurdles that life provides continues to make it harder for us to hold on to our confidence.

As I prepare to enter high-school next year, my mind is beginning to fill up with these thoughts of how many things could go wrong. My head is clouded with so many possibilities, the dreaded “what if’s”. What if I don’t do as well? What if I lose all my friends? What if my grades drop? And through all of this, I almost, almost, lost sight of what’s real. So as I’m flipping through yet another book, searching for some motivation, my heart swells up as when I find exactly what I’m looking for. The same quote, but this time with a whole new meaning.

Now, I’m ready to face high school. Head-on. Full steam ahead. No regrets. All I need to do is to take life into my own hands, before it does the same.