I know, ever since you were a little girl you had a big plan mapped out of the broad future ahead of you. Every year for Halloween you wore the same costume of your future career choice and never once doubted that in 15 years you would be living out your dream.
Well, the timer is ticking on those 15 years and you might be finding yourself nowhere near where you thought you would be. I have switched my major a total of 4 times since I got to college.
If anyone knows anything about figuring out their future- please let me know because it is 100%, not me. However, something that I have 'figured out' is that by the time my head hits the pillow by the end of every night, a new lesson has been learned that I need to reflect on. I am still learning in every aspect of life, and you are still learning too.
I know that the thought of letting people down (especially your parents) is constantly in the back of your mind. It just adds to the unwanted stress and confusion that is constantly running through your head, to begin with. It is so important to not let the opinions of others consume and define who you are.
Some people just need a little extra time before things click and make sense. Those who do not understand that are people that should not be dwelled on.
I am here to tell the girl who is struggling to find her calling and her purpose in this world that you are not alone and that it is okay to be confused. It can be hard to watch your roommates or what seems like everyone else around you have such clear plans and realistic futures lined up for themselves. It is easy to feel like you are falling behind when you compare your life to others.
The cold, hard truth is that you have to figure yourself out before you can figure anything else out.
I want you to know that it is going to get better and more clear with time. The journey of self-discovery is one of the toughest journeys that you (and myself) will go through in maturing to adulthood. It is confusing, anything but pretty, and will beat you to your knees time after time. But somewhere along the line, you will slowly start to find your true colors and learn that what makes you tick in life can actually be something you have a passion for.
You learn what gets your adrenaline pumping and you chase after that feeling because it gives you a zest for life. You learn what scares you and you use that fear to drive you to success. But most importantly, you learn that as much as the timer to those 15 years might be running out, the timer to the rest of your life is far from ending anytime soon. (God willing).
To the girl who just can't seem to figure it out, I know it seems impossible, but one day you and I both will. The most important thing that we can do in the meantime is just to grow as much as we can. Make yourself vulnerable, create opportunities through the confidence you have from deep inside, and always put yourself out there.
Self-discovery will only come from experience, adventure, and growth that will develop with time and maturity.
Life for us is always a marathon instead of a sprint. Along the way we might get passed by others, trip and fall, or need a chance to slow down and walk up that hill every once in a while, but I know that by the time we cross that finish line it is going to be more amazing and rewarding than we ever imagined possible.
It might not seem like it now, but one day (believe it or not) that costume will turn into a uniform. The uniform might be far from what you imagined it would have been 15 years ago, but that is the funny thing about not having life figured out just yet. For girls like us, life never goes as planned- ever. However, one day you're going to wake up, put that ironed uniform on, look in the mirror and smile at how far you have come.
The truth is, no one on all of the planet earth really has life truly 'figured out'. So if anything, we are the girls who decided to take the extra time in life to really find our true passion and try and make sense of it all. I really think there is something to be said about that.
