As senior year comes to a close, we seniors can feel incredibly anxious and stressed about what comes next.

What exactly are we supposed to do for the next four years?

Nevermind that — what are we supposed to do for the rest of our lives?

These questions, and similar ones, plague our minds — and the minds of many other students — constantly.

A day can be going perfectly and, all of a sudden, we are hit with a wave of doubt and anxiety.

Or this type of funk can last a couple days before finally backing off.

We cannot let these evil thoughts hurt us and dictate our future.

However, these thoughts do contain some truth: we might not get things right on the first try — in fact we most likely won’t.

But failure is completely normal, and it will help you realize what you truly want to do.

It’s totally acceptable to take a completely different path than what you planned since kindergarten.

My cousin majored in Community Health and became a personal trainer — he is now working on his certification to be a financial advisor.

My aunt originally majored in Music Theory — she’s currently taking night classes in order to become a nurse.

Even my mom started out as a chemical engineer before taking steps to become a doctor.

My point is, essentially, life never goes as planned.

So, don’t be hard on yourself for not being able to account for every single detail.

Don’t dwell on the doubts that spring into your mind. Acknowledge them, and move on. There’s no point in wasting time on negative thoughts and fears — if you allow yourself to be consumed by them, you will never be able to break out and experience life.

All you have to worry about is going wherever life takes you.

After all, life can lead you to amazing places, as long as you let it.