If you’re reading this and you’re an aspiring senior in your undergraduate career, I want you to know something . . . I am SO PROUD OF YOU! You have trucked along all this way and you are making it through, second by second and moment by moment. Whether it’s your first semester or your second to last, guess what, you DID it!
You woke up this morning, and something inside of you told you that you could make it through. And even though finals may have you stressed, or assignments may have you worried, you’re thinking about the end goal, the end result, and somewhere inside you found the energy to persist on. While the end of the semester can be a stressful time, know, just like any other storm, it is certainly going to pass. There is no painful season that lasts a lifetime, the sun is right around the corner waiting to shine her glory on you.
Now, if you’ve graduated, first of all, I want to say CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! You DID it! After several semesters, several cups of coffee, tea, and possibly cans of monster or red bull, you made it to that last and final step. You have your degree.
Okay, cool, now what?
No worries, guys, I asked myself the same exact thing, right after I walked across that stage. What I realized during my commencement ceremony was that now, I REALLY and truly get to go after my passions, my interest, and my ultimate pursuits.
Some of us have gone to college because we’ve wanted to. For those of you that went without the overwhelming pressure of your parents, that's AWESOME! You go on with yourself! Now, some of us, went because well, our parents were really pushing it. At first, it seemed like it could be a blast, and then things got hard. So semester after semester, we asked ourselves, “Why am I still doing this? What is my true purpose?”
I started off going to college for myself, I then evolved into, "my parents would FLIP if I dropped out, so I guess I’m stuck". What I realized was that, throughout my last few semesters, I learned to develop a series of skill sets that will SIGNIFICANTLY help me throughout my entire life journey. Every time I had a panic attack, I gave myself a pep talk. Every time I cried my eyes out, overwhelmed with stress, worry, and self-doubt, I came across methods of coping and ease that brought me through. Every time one of my friends or peers experienced one of these moments, I learned to listen with gentleness, non-judgment, compassion, and an open heart.
No matter what field/area you’re going to, these are all things that can help significantly in your future endeavors. They involve the honing in on the love that is the soul and spreading it throughout your own physical body. And later, onto others. So my point is, while I still don’t know what lies in store for me or how I’m planning on putting my degree to use, I’ve learned that the road to getting it has served a wonderful purpose. It has taught me that the expansion of the self is so important, so vital, and is probably the most significant piece of this entire experience.
I have been pushed to what I thought were my limits and broken through new barriers.
I have risen above every trial I thought I could never overcome. And while it may be easier to blame an institution for its deadlines or the outside for getting a degree I’m still sort of confused about, I am SO grateful for everything that my university has offered me. Every challenge, every “set back” was only a catapulting into something greater. I have realized I am and can be resilient. And what I see in myself, I also see in you. You are capable of getting through any and every circumstance. There is nothing that you cannot do, nothing that you can’t accomplish. If the skies seem cloudy in your world right now, know that you are the light peeking through.
If the world seems opaque, know that you are the clarity that you seek. The answers to getting through lie in your truest nature, returning to the love that is in you. And in doing that, in honing in on that self love, that self compassion, and that compassion for others, in learning to utilize different skillsets of the heart, you will find and you will see that you are both unbreakable and unstoppable. I send light to you all upon your future endeavors, and may the soul that is you guide the path towards your inner victory.