Dear Anyone Who Needs It,
Life has its ups and downs, and for most people it can seem as if we’re often stuck in a rut. I can relate-- I’ve been sick for nearly four weeks now, I’m drowning in homework, and trying to balance all my responsibilities, yet also trying to have a blast at this amazing university. It really sucks, I’m not going to lie, and there are times when I want to just give up and do nothing but lay in my bed and watch Netflix for days and eat only ice cream and chocolate. But, I have to remember how many amazing things that I’ve been gifted with.
I’m here at one of the best (and most fun) universities in the country, I’ve met incredibly supportive people with beautiful souls that I couldn’t imagine my life without, and I am continually blessed by my decision to rush with all the opportunities it's given me. It’s so easy for many of us to focus solely on the negative parts of our lives, especially when were living through them. But recently I’ve been focusing on trying to choose joy.
I read a post on Tumblr before that said that happiness is only temporary. It can be replaced by sadness, heartbreak, or anger within a second. But joy is different. It’s a way of life, something that we can choose. Sometimes feelings over power us and its hard to help, but with joy we pick when to feel it, its always available. Joy reminds us to let go of the things weighing us down and remember there is always a second chance, or at least the ability to learn from difficult situation and grow. Joy is the thing that makes us wake up in the morning and sit through an awful math class because we know the positives outweigh the negatives of not going. Joy helps us remember how much we want to succeed and to be positive if our plans get a little derailed.
Being at a big school, it can feel easy to get lost, to lose sight of what you want and your dreams. A single bad grade can have me doubting myself in every way, but it is always joy that reminds me that I can and will succeed if I want it bad enough. This whole joy thing also depends on you. Some things are inevitable like midterms and papers, but most situations in our lives are based on choice. We choose to let ourselves stress, or put off an assignment till last minuet, or let others opinions affect us. It's about time that we realize that everything is up in the air, and our choices direct the arrow that points where our path leads.
If I begin to choose joy just a little more each day I know that my arrow will lead me down the path that I’ve always wanted and dreamed of, that I will succeed, and be the best version of myself.
“Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.” – Marianne Williamson,
