Sitting in front of my laptop and watching my favorite reality competition shows on YouTube, I oftentimes catch myself smiling with some of the show contestants, who have been a winner of their respective challenges.

I smile with them, because I know how difficult it is to be a stand out in the crowd. I smile with them, because I know how tough it is to perform brilliantly under pressure. I smile with them, because their sense of relief is relatable. And, I smile with them, because their happiness is authentically contagious.

People talk about chasing dreams. Until we truly give our everything to chase a dream of ours can we truly understand what it is to smile at the end of a long journey.