Life is hard. No matter if you fill every second of your time with many different activities or you focus on one thing that is special to you, life is hard, and it sucks. Learning to balance these daily struggles is what shapes us into the people we are today.

This year, it has been especially hard to manage everything. As a chapter board member, there is a lot of pressure to put on great programs that get everyone excited about BBYO. While being a chapter board member is fulfilling, it is important for not only me to understand, but everyone to understand that we are a people outside of BBYO. We all have a life that is more than just our BBYO friends, our region, and our fellow BBGs and Alephs. It's hard to separate the two because BBYO means so much to all of us, but this year, I have learned that balancing everything should always be my first priority. 

I am a BBG first, almost always, but I am also an athlete. I have been a cheerleader since eighth grade, and I have put countless amounts of hours of work into that sport. Competition cheerleading is not for the faint of heart. The judges, coaches, and teammates will eat you up, spit you out, and have no remorse for it. It's hard to be an athlete in any sport, and it takes a special kind of person to stick with it even when it isn’t always going your way. BBYO has always been something for me to lean back on and enjoy, even when I struggle with cheer. I can always turn to my friends, and they will always be a listening ear for all of my complaints. They are the reason why I work so hard to balance cheer and BBYO. Cheer and BBYO combined wouldn’t be nearly as worth it if I didn’t find a balance to be able to do both.

Even above being a BBG and a cheerleader, I am a student. Every parent says it, and every kid rolls their eyes, but school always comes first, no matter what. I have always held myself to a high standard for school, and it took so much thought and processing to realize that one grade would not ruin my entire future. I am allowed to focus on other things than school. It is still important to focus on school and put as much effort into it as possible, but like cheer and BBYO, I must find the balance. 

Life isn’t always about being the absolute best at everything you do. It is okay to struggle and not know what the balance is, it’s what you do to create the balance that defines who you are. Everyone struggles with juggling the many things going on in their lives, and that is what your friends are there for. They are there to be a guiding light to tell you you are doing great things and your effort is paying off even if it doesn’t really seem like it. BBYO is an important space that can teach everyone skills on how to balance everything while still putting yourself first. Take every opportunity you are given and milk everything you can out of it. The balancing act of life will never get easier, so enjoy it as long as it lasts.