Growing up, I thought everyone got whatever they wanted whenever they wanted it. I used to tell people "I'm a princess. I always get what I want." I am seriously so sorry Mom and Dad for being the worst. But in my defense, I really thought that was how it went. I said I wanted something and immediately expected to have it. And honestly, I usually got it without putting up much of a fight. I thought it was my world and everyone else was just living in it.
I mean that's how it works...right?
Well, I've learned that's not exactly how the world works. Don't worry, it still is my world and you are all just living it. But, it is no longer a world where I expect to get everything I want, especially without having to work for it. As you grow up and leave the small bubble you've been living in, the reality of the world hits. And I mean it hits hard. Or at least it did for me. I grew up constantly hearing the word yes, and rarely being told no. I was living in my own little fairytale world. But this little bubble was popped as I was forced to face reality when applying to colleges. That was the first time in my life that I had ever faced true rejection, and it definitely is not and will not be the last time. Colleges told me that they didn't want me. I didn't get what I wanted. That was a really hard concept for me to grasp. Of course, I threw a few temper tantrums and said things like "but I wanted to go there." I just didn't understand why they didn't want me, especially since I wanted them. Eventually, I came to the realization that it is okay. It is okay that they didn't want me, even if I wanted them. It is okay that I didn't get my way. It is okay that I was told no. It is okay because we don't live in a perfect world. We can't always get what we want.
Sometimes things are just out of our control.
Whether it is a college acceptance or not, not everything is in our control. That was also a really hard concept for me to grasp. We grow up in a world where we are told that we are in control of our lives and that we pick the path that we follow. Yes, we do have some say in all that stuff. But, for the most part, it is out of our control. The world isn't going to always work in your favor. People aren't always going to do what you want or give you what you want. It might be frustrating or even upsetting, but I promise it is okay. These feelings are only temporary. And even if it doesn't seem like you will ever be okay with it, I promise you will be. Not getting your way is a part of life. At some point, we all have to face rejection. And that isn't a bad thing. We aren't always meant to get what we want. I am a strong believer that everything happens for a reason. If you don't get what you want, there must be a reason for it. Whether you know the reason or not, it was supposed to work out that way. Whether the reason makes sense to you or not, it was supposed to work out that way.
At some point, you just have to accept life for what it is.
So, you can spend your life being upset that you didn't get what you wanted or that you didn't get your way. Or, you can accept that it is a part of life and move on. There is no point in living in the past and hold grudges. Just because you didn't get your way this time, it doesn't mean you won't get your way the next time or the time after that. It doesn't mean that the world is constantly against you. It simply means that it wasn't meant to be. Life is filled with ups and downs, good things and bad things. If you only focus on all of the things you wanted but didn't get, you are missing out on all of the other amazing things in life awaiting you. You are missing out on the ups and the good things. You are missing out on the things or the people who you did want... and got. Focus on what adds these ups to your life, the good things, and balances out the downs, or the bad things. Remember, we don't always get what we want and that is okay. Sooner or later, we all have to accept that.
