To start, I first want to challenge you, the reader. What is your New Years resolution, and how about we take it a step further by asking what would you do to follow this resolution? Most of the time, so many people create a list of New Years’ resolutions. I want to keep it short to one word – but overarching.

My New Years resolution is to simply grow.

Even though my New Years resolution will be to grow, I am starting now, because, overall, my senior year of high school has been a jumbled mess of feelings, events and realizations. Going into my final year in high school, I thought it would be the best year of high school. However, life had different plans in store for me. From September to December, so many different challenges have presented themselves, even though some of them I wish didn’t happen. I understand that I needed changes in my life to grow. So, my goal will be to keep growing and challenging myself to be a better person – than yesterday, or an hour ago, or maybe even a minute ago. I always say that little progress is still progress regardless, and I want to live more intently on that idea.

As I go into my final semester of high school, both friends and family have asked me what I want to do in the future. While I have an idea of what I want, this question can be seen as so complex, yet presented so simply. In this society, I have to look at what I want to do, what kind of lifestyle I want to live, living spaces, relationships, dreams. As a result, I have tried to ignore this question, because I am too afraid of the idea that I will be a full adult when I graduate. So, I want to grow and break down this question piece by piece – like any other difficult question – so I can find the right answer to this problem.

I still need to grow as a person.

I have so much left to learn, to see, to hear and absorb from so many other people. I am barely an adult, and I know that I have really only seen a little bit of this world. I want to see more, meet more people and learn their stories so I can grow from them. I am aiming to not only grow my entire person, but my crafts, as well. I have so much left to learn about being a photographer and writer. I’m still new to being on a team of wonderful people that writer some of the best articles I have ever seen. So, standing next to them can be incredibly difficult, and I know so many amazing photographers. They are so inspiring, but I always get caught up in thinking that I don’t belong anywhere near them.

My New Years resolution is to be able to say that I belong, and I have a right to stand next to these amazing people and say that I can produce the same quality of work that they can.