This is for anyone in constant need of reassurance when it comes to their relationships, their achievements, whatever may be going in their lives.
I may not know your situation. All I know is that everything will turn out okay. And if it doesn't, then you plot a new course.
This is a line I use a lot. My girlfriend has these doubts she's doing everything wrong with her life. She has these existential breakdowns that leave her paralyzed. And when I tell her that it will work out, she asks "but how do you know that?"
Truth be told: I don't always know. I'm always at a loss for an explanation because I either don't think that far ahead or because I have told her the reasons before. I just respond with "I just know" because that is the only way I can respond. Then we go over the alternatives so that if the worst case scenario happens, we have a new plan.
I use this line as frequently as I do because I have faith in her. I know that she can do anything. I get that the anxiety can be a massive pain in the ass. But I have seen what she can do. She has earned the opportunities that she has been given.
I also tend to use this line, because, frankly, I'm unsure about everything in my own life. I know things are going in the right direction, but at the same time, they haven't gone as I pictured them. I didn't think I would be a caffeine-fueled rageaholic working early morning shifts at Walmart (okay, not exactly that anymore, but still). If anything, I thought I would be doing intern/gopher work at a small to mid-size newspaper or TV station. I thought I would have my foot in the door by now.
I could have done things differently to be more comfortable with my situation. Emerson College in Boston did accept me, and they supposedly have a great journalism program. The thing with "coulda, woulda, shoulda", though, is that you can't really pinpoint the ONE thing that you could have done differently. I mean, I could have put more focus on my schoolwork throughout high school, finish in the top 10 percent of my class. I could have gone back even further to Little League and really dedicated myself to baseball, possibly earning some sort of scholarship. The fact of the matter is that I can't go back in time. I have to move forward with what I have.
I try to keep a positive outlook. I know that I am going to have to really work for the things that I want. I know that it will all be worth it in the end.
So to anyone who needs to hear that reassurance that they are making the right choices with their lives: Everything will be alright. Thinking about finding a new job? Do it. In a fight with your significant other? Talk it out. Financial troubles? Look at where your money goes, and make a plan. Whatever problem you have, you will find a way to make everything work out.
How do I know this? I just do.
