It was my eighth grade year that I finally figured out what it meant to be alive. Every person has their own views on life. Whether it be from creation by God or evolution through science, everyone has an idea of where they received their life from.

Before eighth grade year, I'd consider myself average. I went through the motions of each day. I did what every normal person did and just kept on going without much thought to my purpose. Once my eighth grade year hit, my hardest challenges and problems arose that brought pain I had never experienced. Throughout the course of the year I felt like I was seeing my whole world fall apart. I was alone. I was depressed. I felt finished. Time kept going and everyday I just put a smile on my face and kept going. I was alive but I wasn't living.

But then there was a week. A certain week in my eighth grade year that everything clicked. I can't remember the date. I can't remember why or how it happened. I just remember a week. A week that my entire life changed. I realized that everything in life happens for a reason. No matter what religion you have, that's true. Everything you go through is for a reason. Sometimes for growth, or maybe for happiness. Your whole life is made up of moments. Good moments and bad moments. But all those moments create a big picture. These moments make you who you are. Your life is YOURS. You are going to go through challenges, but the person you get from overcoming them is better. Every challenge makes you learn something. Look at them as a growing experience and it makes it easier. It makes you beautiful. It's how you look at your challenges and take them on is how difficult they really are. You were given this life to live it and to create a journey. Every waking moment of your life counts towards your big picture, and it's something your never going to get back. Every minute and every second should be spent living your life wildly. Be adventurous. Life freely. Never have any regrets and just go for it. Fill your life with unforgettable experiences. Create them. Make everyday one. Don't care what others think because in the end it's just a thought. Don't care what others say or do to you. They are just people. Most of the time, they are too concerned with what others think of them to actually start thinking and judging you. Live how you want to because you won't get this life back. Your living your life for you. Take the journeys and adventures that help you find yourself. Make something out of yourself. Most people have incredible experiences that happen maybe a couple times a year. I like to wake up, look in the mirror and say, "Today, I'm going to have an incredible experience." Make everyday unforgettable. Life is fun. Life is beautiful. The only way it's going to be that way is if you decide right now to make your life that way. Life isn't going to always be fun. Strive for a great life and don't just wait for it to happen. Life becomes great when you want it to be. And that's what being alive is. There's a difference between living and being alive. Living means to have a purpose. To be going places, doing things, experiencing everything. And that week in eighth grade is when I truly figured out what life is.

Fill your life with unforgettable moments. Never regret anything. YOU decide for yourself to do this. And on that day you decide, that's when you'll know what life truly is.