Have you ever heard the phrase “life is what you make it?” This seems to be one of the most common cliches alive.

When I first heard this phrase, I lacked understanding of what it truly meant. I would think to myself: “How could life be what I make it if I am not in complete control of all its segments? How could I possibly “make” my life if factors such as my surroundings, environment, and the actions of others is mostly out of my control?”

I contemplated this very topic for a while. As I began to plan out my goals for the future and think more about my ambitions and dreams, I yearned to figure out how life could possibly be “what I make it”, but I just couldn’t understand how something like life in which I felt I had little to no authority over could be my responsibility to “make.”

Over time, in my deep thinking I stumbled across an epiphany that helped me comprehend the true meaning of this quote. I switched perspectives by putting myself into the shoes of an artist in severe poverty who only had a stick as a medium and the ground as a canvas.

Although many would claim that those simple materials are not enough to create good artwork, it is the responsibility of me, the artist to use what I had and think creatively in order to make something extraordinary that I can be happy with. As a result, the moral to this story is that life is your canvas and you are capable of creating any design possible even with limited materials, as long as you are content with the outcome. A simple stick and dirt from the ground could still create the most intriguing designs.

In life, it is true that we are not in full control over our environment and the amount of materials or privileges given to us . But, one thing we can control is our mindsets, behaviors, and attitudes. One does not need full control over all of life’s aspects in order to create happiness within their own life and spread it with others. When realizing this, I finally understood that life is truly what you make it.