1. Don’t Worry, Be Happy By: Kendra Nuttall, Grecia Corona, and Avenly Millar

2. I want to talk to all of the chronic worriers out there. If any of you are like me, you've probably spent a great deal of time worrying. It's probably affected your life in some way. Most likely, a negative way. I've spent my life worrying. Worrying about getting to school on time. Worrying about something I said to a crush three years ago. Worrying about whether what I ate for dinner was too unhealthy, or if it was okay, because I exercised that day. I worry, worry, and worry some more.

3. In my short life, the greatest piece of advice I have to offer, is to stop worrying. It will get you nowhere. It eats at you, until it tries to swallow you whole. Don't let it swallow you. Don't let worrying take over your life. Don't worry, and just be happy. Life is meant to be lived. Live it in a way that makes you happy. What makes me happy is sitting at a computer for hours a day, typing a story or going deep into the rabbit hole of Youtube videos. I listen to music, sometimes the same song over and over again, and never get tired of it. I lose myself in the mountains, hiking on a beautiful trail. I even find happiness just by sitting in front of the window, watching a rain storm.

4. My passion is writing. I love writing stories, about anything and everything. Not only does writing make me happy, it also makes me feel like I've fulfilled something. When I write, I feel like I'm doing something worthwhile, it's my contribution to the world. My words will be left behind far after I'm gone, for future people to read. Hopefully they'll find my words inspirational, or at the very least, entertaining. It's an amazing feeling knowing that I'm doing something that will make an impact, even if it's tiny, even if only a few people ever find my stories.

5. My writing isn't always perfect. It's not even always good. But I don't stop writing. I did that once, and it was a disaster. For nearly an entire year in high school, I only wrote school essays. I didn't even write one story. It happened to be the most miserable year of my life. I'm not sure why I quit writing stories; maybe I didn't have any good ideas, maybe I was too lazy, maybe I just felt my writing wasn't good enough, or a combination of all of those things. But when I finally did write something again, I felt better. I felt like I was living. So I never quit again. I've written some atrocious stories. But I keep writing anyway, because my passion makes me happy. Even when I have to rewrite something a million times, even when I have to start completely over, I'm doing what I love. And when I'm doing what I love, I'm not worrying. And when I'm not worrying, I'm happy. Everything I've written has given me experience. The good stuff, bad stuff, and everything in between. Writing, for me, isn't about becoming a bestselling author. Of course, I'd love to be the next J.K. Rowling, but I'll be fine if that never happens. Like Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Life is a journey, not a destination.” I don't have to make millions of dollars with my writing in order to be happy, it's the experience I get that matters.

6. Find your journey. Gain your own experience and passion. Sometimes, your passion may be the drug that keeps you going. Sometimes, it may be the only thing keeping you alive. Don't ever feel like you aren't good at doing what you love. We all have room to improve. We all have skills that need a little brushing up every now and then. What matters is that you keeping trying. No one is perfect, and it's okay. Remember that. It's okay to suck sometimes. Just don't dwell on it. Don't worry about it, because worrying really isn't going to do you any good. Focus on everything positive and everything that you know makes you happy.

7. Follow your passion and live your dreams. It's a much more satisfying way to live than going through life worrying. When I'm immersing myself in a good story, or a good Youtube video, I'm not worrying. In fact, I don't have a care in the world. So find something that you're passionate about and hold onto it. I know I've said it so many times, but I can't say it enough. Find something that makes you feel more alive than anything else could. Find something that you don't ever want to let go of. Do your best and keep you head up. Chase all of your dreams and abandon all of your fears. Don't let anything stop you from doing what you love. Make mistakes and learn from them. Gain all the experience and knowledge you can.

8. And most important of all: Don't worry. Be happy. Even if you forget everything else I said, please remember that. We worriers need to be warriors. We have got to fight our worries until they are gone. Until they stop attacking us. When you've become a warrior instead of a worrier, when you've immersed yourself in what you love, and you've found your passion, you've found a life.