We all have our breaking point. I cracked following the end of my freshman year of college, and I have since put myself back together once I identified the root of my issues and focused on all of the positives in my life.
1. I am not perfect. And that is okay.
Being perfect is unrealistic and although it took me the longest time to realize this, it was the best realization of my life. If I did something that was “imperfect” in my eyes, it would be the absolute worst thing in the world. I would play the event over and over in my mind until I made myself go crazy, and then I would hate myself for having such ridiculous thoughts. News flash: NO ONE IS PERFECT. If we were, we would never learn from our mistakes.
2. People will come and go in and out of our lives.
Everyone we meet in our lives serves a purpose, but sometimes that purpose is simply to be a lesson. The struggles and fights and heartaches happen for a reason, and from them we can learn so much--what people's true colors are, which relationships are worth holding onto, and the relationships of which we need to let go.
3. I will never be 100% sure of anything.
When making a decision, I always used to think that there was a right decision. Well, truth is, a decision is a decision is a decision. There may be a better decision, but I feel like it is impossible to know what is the right decision. So, now, instead of racking my brain trying to weigh all of my options and make the “right” decision, I simply make the decision that I believe is best and stick to it without worrying too much.
4. It is perfectly fine not to know what to major in.
I switched my major a total of six times during my freshman year of college. I felt an immense amount of pressure to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, and felt even more pressure trying to figure what to major in to pursue that. Fortunately, however, I am not alone in this and there are plans set up for people just like me who have no idea what they want to do with their life.
5. My friends are always there to help me get through the hard times.
They make me laugh even when I want to cry, and they give me the support that I need. My best friend always tells me what I need to hear—even if it isn’t what I want to hear. All of my friends are a daily reminder that I will always have people to count on and that I am never alone.
6. It is okay to take risks.
I’d always lived my life afraid to take a risk in fear of what it may lead to—even if the outcome was good. Despite tricking myself into thinking that I liked change, I actually would try to avoid it, and I just wanted to stay in the same place in my life forever. I have since realized that change is often a positive and exciting thing, which I can in fact benefit from. So I take certain risks, and I don’t let myself worry about the outcome.
7. My thoughts are not ridiculous.
I used to think I was the only person in the world who felt certain anxieties. Going to eat at the dining hall by myself? No way was I going to do that. Meeting new people? I’ll probably say something stupid and they’ll never talk to me again. Presenting in front of the whole class? They are probably going to judge every single thing that I say. Although these thoughts are a little extreme, they are not ridiculous because other people have them too, and there are ways to cope with social anxiety that I have since learned.
8. It is okay to be sad sometimes.
I am full of a mix of emotions (as we all are), and I often found myself being sad. Sometimes it was random, but other times I had legit reasons to be upset. For the latter, it is completely okay to be sad. In times where I don’t know the root of my sadness, however, I have found it extremely important that I pinpoint it and talk about my emotions rather than bottling them up and being confused.
9. Life is beautiful.
Life doesn’t always go our way, but there are so many beautiful things to be grateful for each and every day. Once I realized that life will never be perfect, I started to appreciate the little things and learned how to deal with any difficulties--big or small--that may be thrown my way. Life may be relentless at times, but we were given ferocity and strength to deal with the curve balls, and to leave our marks here as we show the world of what we are capable.
10. Hitting my breaking point has made me who I am.
It wasn’t a full-blown mental breakdown, but I 100% hit my breaking point. I wouldn’t be who I am today without going through it, though. I have learned so much about myself and about life, and I have never been a truer version of myself. I have changed my perspective and have learned how to love myself and the life that I live.
Everything in life is a lesson or a blessing. Me hitting my breaking point was both, and I urge anyone going through a tough time to talk about their thoughts and to utilize the beneficial resources out there. There are so many beautiful reasons to be happy, and life is too short to let our negative thoughts consume us.
