I think a common source of anxiety for college students is the need to "find themselves." The constant urge to feel successful and on top of everything can get overwhelming at times. Sometimes, it might feel like everyone around you knows exactly what they are doing, exactly who they are, and exactly who they want to be.
Sometimes, you feel like you're the only one that's lost.
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The fact of the matter is: you're wrong.
It's completely okay to have absolutely no idea who you are, especially as a college student. You might be legally considered an "adult" now and feeling the pressure to get your life together, but don't feel bad if you're clueless.
You're going to be clueless. You're going to feel lost. You're going to sit alone on a bench on a Friday afternoon and stare at the blue sky while you ask yourself, "Who am I? What am I even doing with my life?" At the time, as you ask yourself this, you might feel ashamed. You might feel stressed. You might feel like you're doing something wrong because you have no idea what you're going to do in the future.
But think about it. It's great that you are questioning who you are. We're supposed to ask questions! We're not supposed to know what is going to happen next! The beauty of life is in the unknown, and although it's freakin' scary, it's the truth.
It's okay if you don't know who you are. Take this feeling and make use of it. Try some new things. Join every single random club on your college campus just because you can. Go out to that random new restaurant that just opened because you've never been there. Stay out all night making questionable choices. Spend all day in the library the next day. Take advantage of the fact that you're lost and feeling misunderstood. See it as an opportunity to go on random road-trips alone and ease off of the path of hiking trails.
It's okay if you don't know who you are. In the end, who really does? Anyone who says they have it completely together is probably batshit or lying. You might be feeling the pressure to figure yourself out, and that's okay. It's good to feel the pressure, it's good to be stressed, it's good to care. Remember that you're not supposed to know all of the answers. Remember that it's okay to wing it every once in a while.
Don't put too much pressure on yourself to figure it all out right now, okay? Take it slow. Take it day by day. With each choice and each mistake, you're getting a little closer to figuring yourself out.
You probably won't ever truly know who you are. You're always going to surprise yourself, and that's fine. With each day you're getting closer. You'll figure it out in the end.
