Slow down. Take a breath. You got this.

Something I have to tell myself way too often these days. Can I be honest for a minute? Some days are just bad. They’re just awful, really. Literally nothing goes your way.

Life happens. That’s inevitable. When life does happen, you better be ready, because it won’t stop and think about what it’s hurting. Life happens and anything that gets messed up is just collateral damage. If you don't watch out, you’ll be a part of that damage. You’ll collapse on the floor from frustration and exhaustion and question how you got here. How all of this could actually happen… to you… all in the same week. You’ll look up to the ceiling and scream into the open air, “Are you kidding me? What’s next?!”

The point is, yeah, life really sucks sometimes, but it’s about how we look at it. We had a nice long break from college, but now we’re back. Back to the routine of classes, chapel, lunch, nap, classes, dinner, study, repeat. But now it’s a new year full of new classes, new goals, maybe even new majors. This semester maybe you promised to focus more on studies. Maybe you want to study less and have a little more fun. Whatever it is, do it. Let this semester really be the “new you” you're wanting. I decided to not let myself get so bummed out on the bad days. The “new me” will be joyful in trials and tribulations.

I’ve realized something…it’s all about the way we take it. Whether we let this semester hit us in the gut and beat us down, or we face it head on and take care of business. If we let the hard times bury us too far deep in anger and bitterness, we won’t have a chance at seeing the blessings. If we accept the challenges thrown at us and take care of it one step at a time with an easy mind, we’ll continually seek out the small joys.

The Bible says, “What we sow in tears, we”ll reap in joy.” Really accept those words. It’s about seeking those small blessings and pieces of happiness during the unfortunate events. It’s about allowing laughter and excitement to continually fill your life no matter what is happening. We are to have faith of better days and endure this season of drought, because sometimes, just sometimes, all your classes get canceled, Gano has corn nuggets, and your roommate brings home ice cream!

Sometimes, just sometimes, you have that feeling of togetherness. You feel like, “Wow. I got this. I made it through my horrible, no good, very bad week.” If you can make it through that, you can make it through anything life throws at you. You slow down, take a breath, and look up to the ceiling and calmly whisper, “Thank you.”

So you don't have to have it all together all the time. That’s why you have people who love you in your life. To hug you and cry with you. To pick you up when you can’t on your own. No one has their life together all the time, that’s just impossible and unrealistic. Honestly, you probably have it more together than you think. So just breathe, because you got this. Keep an open mind this semester. Really go after those changes you want to make. Aspire to better yourself. Seek out those small joys. Dwell in this new beginning we’ve been given. This is a new semester for a new you.