It seems as every year comes to an end a new one begins, you have the same recurring thought, “this is the year. This is my year.” It seems at every birthday, another year older, you think you’ll feel older, ready to accomplish something, ready to figure out this strange thing called life. But here you are, still questioning your identity, still wondering “what you want to be when you grow up,” or rather, who you want to be when you grow up. You begin to wonder if you’ll ever figure it out, if there’s a deadline quickly approaching that you’re about to miss…
If you’re someone who thinks the cliché that college is supposed to be the time when you find yourself and figure things out has not exactly come into play yet, you’re not alone. If you find yourself wondering if anyone else feels as clueless about themselves as you do about yourself, you’re surely not alone.
Yes, college is about figuring out who and what you want to be “when you grow up,” but the beauty is that, no, there’s no deadline. The more questions you ask and dilemmas you face about your identity does not have to mean your journey to finding yourself is longer and farther than someone who already has all the answers. It simply means that you’re ready, determined and eager to understand the self that is you. Asking questions may lead to answers, but it may also lead to asking more questions, rather, the more important ones that don’t rely on age or years as an answer. When you stop questioning yourself and wondering who you are, you eliminate the opportunity to discover new parts of yourself, you end the journey that may be just beginning.
It’s hard to understand that you’ll get from Point A, a twenty-something-confused-college-kid most likely drunk, half asleep or cramming for exams, to Point B, a wife or husband, a mother or father, a successful business owner, or even just a working citizen of the “real world” (!), but the fact that there is a million and two paths between the two has to be a relief. An even greater relief is that the path you choose is up to, yes, you guessed it, you.
So while you’re up late worrying about what you’ll do with that silly degree, or how you’ll ever make it to the top tax bracket straight out of college instead of studying for your exam, remember to calm down, because you’ll make it. You’ll survive your hangover, you’ll find a passion that wakes you up, and you’ll pass your tests because you tried your best; along the way, you’ll find yourself. And if not, well, you’ve got a million and one more paths to try out ‘til you get there.
