There are a lot of uncertainties in my life. I feel pretty safe assuming that there are plenty in yours as well, whomever you are reading this. Maybe your best friend shared this article on your Facebook wall, or maybe you stumbled across it on your own. Either way, I’m glad you are reading it.

I’m glad that we are sharing the burden of uncertainties and the overwhelming need for complete understanding of what is coming next.

I’m glad that we are in agreement on how frustrating it is to feel out of control and off balance with our never-ending to-do lists.

I’m glad for however long it takes you to read this, you understand that you’re not alone.

You’re not the only one that feels immense pressure to balance your course load, meetings, scheduled phone calls with your parents, parties, and attempting to get more than four hours of sleep a night.

You’re not the only one that wakes up grumpy for no apparent reason other than you feel as if you have to accomplish the impossible before lunch.

Sure, we all have our own circumstances that make it more difficult, but for the most part? We are all going through it together. No one has it figured out, no one has it balanced, and no one knows what the hell he or she is doing.

How do you make peace with the unavoidable doom of uncertainty? I have to admit, I don’t deal with it well. It often gets the best of me and I find myself struggling to shut off my brain when I should be snoozing.

Here’s what I’ve figured out so far:

1. There is NO way that I can control everything. (I know. Let that sink in.)
2. Sometimes things fall through the cracks and that’s okay. Everyone makes mistakes.
3. Everything happens for a reason.

Now, that third one is quite the cliché.

But, seriously… read it again. Everything happens for a reason.

You decided to take 18 credits and had to drop a class at the beginning of the semester because you were overwhelmed. If that hadn’t happened, would you have had time to join that new club?

You got a random roommate and they became your best friend. Would you really have made it through the year without them? Probably not.

You didn’t get the summer internship you applied for. If you had gotten it, then you would have had to pass up on the family vacation that turned out to be the last with your Grandpa before he passed away.

In the moment, it might feel like the worst possible thing. You might feel lost and confused and ready to give up.

Don’t give up.

You can do it, I promise. You can wade your way through all of the uncertainties and find some balance. You can find your way through all of the closed doors and discover those open windows. You can do it all plus more.

After all, you’ve made it this far, right?