Consume the world or get swallowed by it.
I come from a generation of instant gratification. If I need
food, I can have it at my door in less than ten minutes or pick it up in my car
in less than 5. If I need a friend, they are a quick text or call away. If I
need entertainment, it’s in the palm of my hand 24/7…unless my battery dies, in
which case I can find an outlet in less than 5 minutes to charge it as
well. The last time I read a book (for
fun) was pulled up on my phone because I didn’t want to go out and buy it. We
never have to leave our houses for anything material if we do not wish.
There are so many stores and they are bustling at this time
of year. Why do we choose to go out and consume from the world even when we do not
have to? Why do we feel the need to give our loved ones discount junk we found
on black Friday just because it was a ‘fantastic deal’ on Christmas? Why can’t
we just simply be present with the friends and family around us? The greatest
gift any of my friends and family can give me this year is their time, their
friendship.
Christmas can be one of the loneliest times of the year. And
the new year rings in memories of the past. We evaluate ourselves and often
look at what we did and who we are. Do we like what we see? What do we need to
change?
I am halfway through my senior year of college… and I am
freaking out. I don’t have quite the life I want internally, but cosmetically,
I do. I don’t fully love, know, and trust myself yet, so how am I supposed to
know what to do with my life? Society pressures us to go to college and we’ll
just figure everything out there, right?! Wrong. I’ll be leaving college with
more questions than answers. I’ll be leaving college with more doubts and
worries. I’ll be leaving college still not knowing what it is I want in life. Isn’t
that the purpose of an education, though? To make a person think?! Maybe it’s
okay to not have my ducks in a row. Maybe the point of my college education was
to make me evaluate entirely what I want in life…
STEP 1: Let it go.
My past has been haunting me. Did I make all the right choices? No, certainly not. But the mistakes I made have made me. I’m 20 and I get to graduate soon. I need to use this opportunity to wipe my slate clean.STEP 2: Envision a new future.
I acknowledge where I come from, but I do not want it to
define me. It’s so easy to get caught up in hometown drama and never branch
out. The truth is, I’m sick of high school lovebirds staying together because it's convenient and never
exploring new joys that life can bring. It takes so much courage to leave a
comfortable relationship and mediocre life to try something risky. I have years before I need to bog down my life with commitment. No risk, no reward. I
need to focus on having a future that makes me happy. This includes the
hobbies, animals, and people that I love. I need to create a list of goals. What
do I want to accomplish in the next month? Next year? And in the next 5 years?
STEP 3: Embrace the present.
I need to start today with a positive mindset. Every day is
another day to learn. There are new adventures waiting for me to find them.
They will not come find me. Life is what you make it. And it all starts by
appreciating and enjoying every moment. One can sit at home and be bored, wallowing
in self-pity and exist in a bubble. Or one can go out and enjoy the world for
all it is worth.
STEP 4: Never stop learning.
It’s so easy to leave college, join a mundane career, and
have a boring daily routine. The only thing hindering me from exploring is me. I
need to remember that all of the adventures I want are possible only if I make
them happen. I should never stop taking a class in something or reading books.
