From one [almost] college graduate to another, I understand if you're beginning to panic a bit. The reality that "full adulthood" hits us head-on in a mere three months is, slightly, terrifying and a bit exhilarating all at the same time. You may, suddenly, feel that four (or five) years isn't enough time to figure it all out.
And you're right. It isn't. But neither is 10, 15, or 20 years because no amount of time is going to adequately prepare us for the unknown that lies ahead — a conclusive nightmare for those of us who crave control of our lives.
But here's the thing — control is an illusion.
We are no more in control on the days that we feel we are than on the days that we feel like we're drowning. As cliché as it sounds, each of our stories has already been written, bound, and published. And when we try to make edits or suggestions, I'm officially convinced God laughs, shakes His head and says, "not again."
Why is that so scary? Why do we want to be in control of something as serious as our destiny? Isn't that a whole lot of unnecessary pressure?
I think yes.
I think we need to calm down and stop being afraid to tell the people who want to know our step-by-step plans post-grad that we're not exactly sure, but that we're actively working on figuring it out.
It's OK if we don't have a 10-year plan laid out. It's OK if we don't have a five-year plan set in stone. It's really OK if we haven't even identified our passion or "calling." And it's time to stop feeling pressure to pretend that we have it all together. No one really does, and I call B.S. on anyone who claims they do.
Stop comparing yourself to other people your age who seem to be at the perfect place in life because I guarantee you that for every person you compare your progress to there's someone out there doing the same thing, except you're the one they look up to.
If I had a dollar for every time someone has asked for my "secret" or said they don't know how I "have it so together," I'd have my student debt paid off before the first bill rolled in.
I am here to tell you that I do not have it figured out. No one does. And I am the world's worst for identifying those who seem like they've "arrived" and then striving to catch up with their progress. Exhausting, right?
We never arrive. In fact, we should probably check ourselves if we ever get that comfortable with where we're at because there's always room to improve, always more mistakes to make and learn from, and always a new goal to pursue.
To the college senior who doesn't have life figured out yet, don't stress. You're exactly where you need to be.
