Do I want grilled cheese or Chef Boyardee? Should I play outside or watch the next episode of Powerpuff Girls? Do I want pigtails or a giant bow in my hair? What were once time consuming decisions that filled my eight-year-old brain became futile as I grew up. One thing never changed; my decisions were impulsive and pleasing for that time.

Gradually the choices we are faced with become more difficult, so why is it that we haven’t changed? You’ve heard your counselors, parents and teachers stress that what we do now could affect us for the rest of our lives, but how often have you actually listened to what they say?

My freshman and sophomore years of high school were spent stuffing my homework into my backpack and not giving much thought to my grades. Instead of making positive choices and working to the best of my abilities to achieve goals, I decided to slack off. I didn’t even take time to consider that colleges would one day see the grades I was making and put no thought into the greater picture.

Somewhere between the end of my sophomore year and the summer going into junior year I had the biggest wake up call. Looking over my transcript and realizing that college was sooner than later shook me to my core and back to reality. The college of my choice wasn’t going to accept the student I was, but maybe they would accept who I knew I could be. Ever since then I’ve been working my butt off, just to make up for the time I wasted. If I could go back I’d slap myself for all the times I blew off working hard for something of lesser importance.

I know I’m not the only one faced with choices; many of us, like myself, don’t realize how the decisions we make now will affect us later. What I know now is invaluable, the choices I make are a direct reflection of who I am and they should always represent me in the best manner.

While I’m not advocating that you obsess over the next thing you eat, song you listen to or pair of jeans you buy, I urge that when faced with choices that could alter the course of your life, that you take a moment and think before you act. Whether you’ve spent your entire life, high school career, or just today making bad choices, each and every one of us has the ability to do better. The great thing about life is that tomorrow is a new day, a chance to do better than the day before.