We're in an age of rushed agendas. As a young college student, I look at the world with open eyes because I have my entire life to choose how I want to live. There's been new changes and obstacles that I have recently had to start overcoming, or at least let the overwhelming emotions pass. It's bothered me that we grow up being drilled with statements such as, "once you graduate, your life is going to get much more interesting" or "figure out what you want to do early on to bypass others who don't." Registration is hell. You don't get everything you've expected just because you're declared. Finances play a huge role with decisions in so many scenarios.
You're still surrounded by immaturity in certain environments. And occasionally, the place you chose for yourself might not be the place you want to stay. These ideas we've been taught to follow of having an immediate great career right out of college, living in an amazing apartment, or getting every single class on-time because of past academic performance are in my opinion, highly stressful. Of course, these are all things we should aim for! Achieving goals and making an impact on the world is an incredible accomplishment, but it doesn't need to be rushed, and you can make your story the way you want it to be!
All of the components of growing up and gaining experience come with time, but it doesn't happen at the click of a button, or really, even by a scheduled agenda. Sometimes things happen that we're not ready to comprehend, we can be creatures of habit, and why would we want to leave comfort? But with these modifications I have begun to make in my own life, I've come to the conclusion that to be content you don't always need a set plan. The secret of success could be as simple as one word: motivation.
It's important to take an extra second to breathe and trust. Even for us control freaks, we don't have the power to control too much of the next 15 years. Anything that happens concerning our future selves and careers does so to inspire us about what we should be doing. Will the mental picture of our future selves actually be legitimate? Maybe, but maybe not. People's goals change with time, and they're different than our own. Life is like a roller coaster, there's some speed bumps, blind corners, and frequent repairs. Sometimes we get a little out of control, and we're speeding through the present too fast and coming to a sudden halt of whiplash. Life keeps us in check and enables us to create our own track to move forward on.
I am beginning to implement this mindset of acceptance and flexibility. Don't be afraid to experience a few twists because there's always something to take away from it. It could be positive or negative, but each situation presented gives us the opportunity to appreciate and grow. There isn't a set way to accomplish things in life, so make your own road map, and if you get lost on the way, know that there's always a new plan able to be put together.
