I remember when everything in my life was set in stone. When the path I was on had a visibility of the next 70+ years. Then I remember when that stone was smashed into a million pieces. When everything that I had planned for the rest of my existence was completely washed away. I remember crying my eyes out because I was lost and didn’t know where to start. Then I got the best piece of advice. Counsel that I only hope everyone who is struggling with what they want to do in life can find comfort in.
It was a late summer night and my best friend and I were swinging in the park. I was stressed to the max trying to figure out where I was going to go to college for the next three years, since I had already missed out on the experience of going away my freshman year. That's when my friend turned to me and said, “You are your greatest investment. When you start making decisions and doing things for yourself, everything else will fall into place.” Boom, instant epiphany.
From that moment on I started putting my eggs in my own basket. I realized that relying on other people when it comes to life decisions is a gamble. With that advice I went to the college of my dreams, joined a sorority (my second home) and achieved my dream of being a college cheerleader. All of the ambitions I had before life got in the way were finally fulfilled.Through my journey I have made some of the greatest friends, created relationships for future networking and came across some of the most amazing opportunities. The process was scary, but overall the biggest breathe of fresh air.
Being young is the time to be selfish. It’s a time to carry out all of your dreams and worry about yourself. When you rely on someone to be apart of your life and to be apart of your happiness, you’re setting yourself up for a lifetime of regrets. Always remember that while you’re the protagonist of your own story, you’re just a supporting character in someone else’s. Once they get a chance to take an opportunity, they will. They should, and so should you. Taking your own path will open the doors that were meant to be opened. It will give you a sense of freedom and the only directions are the ones you create. One of the greatest things about life is that it is so unpredictable. One minute you see yourself leaving the party at 9:30 p.m., I mean getting married really young and settling down, and the next you are taking every adventure that crosses your path. I'm not sure how the rest of my life will turn out, but I know that it will be everything that I want.
