When you’re in college, people expect you to know exactly what you want for yourself. You have to know where you want to live, what career you want to pursue, and quite possibly the lifestyle you see yourself having. Whether you want to get married, have a family, or travel, are questions that you’re supposed to have answers to. But the truth of the matter is that nobody has any idea where they’re going to end up until they’re there.
Opinions can change depending on who you meet because people have a funny way of getting in your head. It’s kind of how when you hang around a person too long and begin to pick up their catchphrases and mannerisms. Oddly, the same occurs with fundamental values. Religion, politics, and ideologies aren’t instilled in us at birth. Rather, they develop over time. They change and are redefined based on our personal experiences so it’s impossible to tell what you’ll believe by the time you reach the age when it counts. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, uncertainty can be strangely comforting.
Now, I know what you’re thinking at this point: my god a quote from Pinterest would go so well here. And you’re right so here it goes, “Nothing will ruin your 20’s more than thinking you should have your life together already.”
When you’re young, you will be presented with so many options that have the potential to change everything. Extracurricular activities might have more of an impact than anything school related, the job you picked up just to pay the bills might be where you want to stay, or the person you decided to take a chance on could be the best thing that happened to you. And the way these things occur is by letting go of your rigidly preconceived notions of who you think you have to become and instead allowing yourself to take risks and have doubt.
Doubt is not typically seen as a positive term. But it’s through experimenting and questioning that we find what best works for us.
We have our entire lives to be comfortable, stable, and sure. It's during our formative years that we are given the rare opportunity to screw up and try new things. Now is the time to change your major seven times, travel the globe, go on dates, and make unexpected friends. That’s not to say that every gamble will end in a jackpot; not all the doors that are opened for us will stay open. But by not even trying we are denying ourselves a better life.
This doesn’t go to say that we should walk into every situation blind. It’s nice to have goals and know what we want. But we’re too young for these ideas to be permanent. There has to be room for flexibility and change because if I’ve learned anything, it’s that sometimes life gets in the way of your plans. So rather than worrying about what comes next, take a leap of faith and enjoy the freefall.
