You need to press on. Don't make excuses. I wish I could tell you that racism, sexism, and other prejudices against foreign people, gay people, people with disabilities, and others who are simply different is not a problem. Racism and other forms of hate are still alive and waiting just for you. But you must lead in spite of these challenges.
Life is about choices.
What you decide today or tomorrow can have everlasting effects on your life and the life of others. You must fully analyze situations and anticipate the potential outcomes of your actions. Maturity is the ability to control emotions and settle differences without violence or destruction. Maturity is the willingness to pass up immediate pleasure in favor of long-term satisfaction. Maturity is the art of living in peace with what we cannot change, having the courage to change what we know should be changed, and the wisdom to know when we have lost a battle, thereby choosing defeat with dignity over victory with shame.