How to Take Over the World, and Other Useful Advice to Myself

1. You can't really take over the world. You're a 19 year old girl; get yourself together.

2. But that doesn't mean you can't try, you know. You may not be able to become an evil dictator and sit on something vaguely resembling the iron throne, but alas, that doesn't mean you can't take control in other ways. 

3. 'Cause that's what this is about, right? Control? The feeling that your life is spiralling out of your reach in a million different directions and you're trying to grasp for all of them at the same time but you can't because as soon as you think you've reached one it inches even farther away from you and then you can't breathe and - 

4. Take it from me, kid (reminder to self: stop calling yourself "kid"), you can't do it all. You really can't. 

5. Pick something. Focus on it. Become better at it. Love it. 

6. And really, no, starting an evil dictatorship is not the way to go. 

7. Don't worry about what you can't control. Worry about what you can. You can't control other people's actions, but you can control your own. 

8. Maybe focus on that. 

9. You're a good person, you know. Just a little lost. 

10. Maybe draw yourself a map. Those tend to be helpful, albeit a little outdated (you can't find the map to where you're going on Google maps). 

11. Yeah, a map is good. Follow it, and don't try to cover it all. Don't look for a world to conquer.

12. Make your own.