Currently, I am entering into my senior year of college. WOW! That flew by. I have learned a lot in these past few years but one of the most important lessons I have learned is that you don't have to have everything figured out.
As a senior in high school I was very excited for college. It was a new stage of life with new adventures, new people, and new opportunities. Everyone around me seemed to have a set plan. They were going to be a nurse, engineer, etc. Regardless of what their career goal was, they had a plan and knew exactly what steps to take to get there.
I was the complete opposite. I knew I was full of passions, but I wasn't exactly sure how to use them. I knew that I wanted to help people and make a difference in the world. I applied to schools and once I was accepted, I chose a major that I thought could enhance these passions.
As I began to take these courses, I was still unsure of exactly what I wanted to do in life and that terrified me. Suddenly my idea of "going with the flow" and "figuring things out along the way" didn't sound so good.
I SHOULD know, right? That's why I'm here. I need to follow these steps that my advisers, parents, professors, and friends have laid out for me, right? I need to get a degree and start working as soon as possible so that I can start my life. I have to be married by twenty-five and start having a family before I'm thirty.
These were the ideas I had set in my mind. I kept telling myself that if I didn't have a plan then there was something wrong with me.
My friends, I am here to tell you that I am entering into my senior year of college, and I still do not have a set plan. And you know what? That is OK.
When I began to feel panic over my life and its destination I would take a step back and reflect on my life so far. I have grown so much in these past three years. I have gone through obstacles and come out the other end better than I was before. I have taken courses that did not suit me, but still taught me that is not the direction that I would like to go in.
I am allowing myself to be unsure of what is next. I am trusting myself, my beliefs, and my heart. I am using resources and still pursuing my passions, but I am not going to let myself panic when something doesn't go according to plan.
I am not where I would like to be right now but I am "En Route" to my destination and I am enjoying every minute of it.
Enjoy the ride you are on. Turn what you may think are "mistakes" into lessons. Let go of the things that are holding you down. Be who you want to be and don't be discouraged if the way you get their is unconventional.
I am En Route and my journey is beautiful.
