Going to college you’re told you’re about to “have the best four years of your life.” That phrase in and of itself carries a lot of weight. You begin to plan and expect everything to go a certain way. You have created this image in your head of the events you’ll go to, friends you’ll make, grades you’ll receive and just have the next four years of your life planned out. However, if you’re like me or the other 30,000 LSU students, you know that life doesn’t always go as planned.
It’s OK to not have it all figured it out. Surround yourself with the people and friends who will help you create a new path when maybe the first or even the second or possibly third don’t go as expected. Whether it’s a quick sprint down the path or a long walk, college is all about embracing change and figuring it out even if it takes multiple paths to do so.
Life is hard. Bad things happen, and some things are just not explainable. No one has it all together. No one has life all figured out right now. It's OK to not feel OK at times. It's OK to feel like you're missing something. It’s OK to feel unhappy. It's OK to feel lost, or stuck, and it’s OK to feel like you’re just sort of wandering through life sometimes.
However, with this being said, it’s not OK to hurt yourself in order to feel OK. It's not OK to take in a substance in order to mask what you are feeling. It isn’t OK to feel worthless like your life isn’t worth living. Nothing would be the same without your existence, remember that.
Life and the people around us can sometimes make it seem like everything has to be perfect or a certain way, but it doesn't. It's hard to be happy when it feels like a constant rain cloud is hovering over your head. Take time for yourself. You are important. You can fall apart, but you also have the ability to rebuild yourself and keep going. You cannot be OK. Sometimes we have to not be OK in order to be OK.
I know it’s hard to sometimes, believe me. It's hard to be happy when the person looking back at you in the mirror isn't your friend. Next time you look in a mirror, think positive things about yourself that you love instead of picking apart flaws you may see. If you start thinking negative, walk away and come back to the mirror and try again.
Scream, cry, run, write, surround yourself with friends and family. Talk to people; don’t be afraid to ask for help. Do what you need to in a healthy way to be OK again eventually. You don’t have to be OK right now, or even tomorrow. You don’t have to figure life out right now. Take your time; do things how you must. Follow the steps down your path or multiple paths to get where you need to go. You set your limits and capabilities. No one can decide that for you.
