it's only what you make of it.

My parents have never been overly wealthy and I have two sisters, so growing up I always knew if I really wanted something, I had to earn it. My mom would assign me certain chores to do before I could get those new earrings or shoes I wanted. If I didn't want to work for something, I knew I would have to wait for my birthday or Christmas. Sometimes I wondered why my friends always had fancy new things when it wasn't even a holiday. I would beg my mom for something at the store, even though I knew she wouldn't cave in. My parents have always been frugile and I am so glad they passed that trait on to me.



I got my first job when I was fourteen as a busser at a dinky little restaurant in my home town. I honestly made $4.50/hr plus tips to clean up people's messes. I never looked forward to going to work, but I quickly became one of the first ones out of my friends to get my own cell phone. I saved up my money until I had enough to buy one and had to make sure I paid the bill every month. Knowing I was working hard to allow myself the luxury of a cell phone made me appreciate it even more.



I didn't get my driver's license until I was seventeen, which I thought was a major life tragedy. I was lucky enough to be blessed with a free car. Yes, I said free. It was a '96 Chrysler Sebring with some mechanical issues. Thankfully, my dad was able to fix everything and once he had it up and running, the PrincessMobile was a big hit! Not only did I have to make sure I could afford gas, but my parents told me I was responsible for paying my own car insurance every month. At the time, I was working at a clothing store in the mall. I gave up my weekends to make sure I worked enough to be able to pay my cell phone bill and my car insurance. Most of my other friends had no reason to get a job, because their parents paid for everything. Sadly, a lot of those people are still the same way.



Now that I am almost 23 years old and have experienced the real world for myself, I can honestly admit that I am thankful my parents didn't hand me anything and everything I wanted. No one will do that for you in reality. I was taught at a young age that if you want something, you have to work for it. If I hadn't known that firsthand, then I wouldn't have been able to conquer all of the amazing experiences life has brought me.



It's funny how I can look back and laugh at myself as a teenager. I hated that my parents didn't hand out money to me whenever I wanted and I absolutely despised paying all my own bills. But I am honestly very grateful that I learned not to expect people to take care of me. This has helped me embrace my independence and become aware that I am strong enough to take care of myself.



This is why I find it hard to have any sympathy for those people who are constantly complaining about one thing or another. If you are really that unhappy, why don't you do something about it instead of drowning us all in your negativity? I know firsthand that not everyone lives a charmed life. I clearly was not handed everything on a silver platter, but there will probably always be someone who has it worse off than you do. Sometimes you just need to take a step back and figure out what you can do for yourself to get to a better place. Most likely, there is no one who is going to fix your problems or hand you everything you need to do so. It's only what you make of it, so find some positive energy and do something to help yourself. You'll find many new commendable things in your life and be able to appreciate them a lot more knowing you've worked hard and earned it all!