Feeling Lost: A Personal Response to Finding My Purpose
I think it's important to accept that, most of the time, a majority of us have no idea what our purpose is. We go about our daily routines - waking up, living our routines, going to bed, and repeating - and in that cyclical experience a wrench can be thrown. An unforeseen opportunity can be offered to us, or our dream apartment opens up and we're next on the waiting list. The smallest screwdriver, or the biggest jackhammer can impact our lives in ways we did not originally plan, but that by no means makes it negative. In fact, cloaked underneath such life changes could be one of the most positive experiences of your life.
On the contrary, it could also be a negative one, but we will never know which until we try.
I saw this tweet about a week ago that I feel encapsulates the argument I'm trying to make here; if we spend too much time wondering "what if?", or over-thinking potential future experiences before they even come, we are forcing ourselves to experience that stress and uneasiness before it physically arrives. Let's assume this future change turns out to be one of the best things that ever happen to us - we have basically corrupted that joy by convincing ourselves it may be awful - so why do we choose to live like that?
Newt Scamander once said "my philosophy is worrying means you suffer twice." So why don't we omit that worry in the first place, and simply choose to experience every change we come upon? It's easier said than done of course, or so we always say, but that shouldn't mean we don't try.
I'm only 20, and one of my biggest fears for my life was that I didn't know what I wanted to do with it. I had gone through two years at community college and graduated with an Associate's degree, but when I went to orientation at my transfer university and expressed my lack of chosen major, the supervisor simply said "you're able to change your major every 48 hours!" as if that was some sort of perk. But I can't change my schedule every 48 hours, so I'd have to finish a rather useless semester just to start all over again in the next one. And that would go on and on for as long as I changed my mind.
So instead I changed my mind on college, and decided not to go.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, I think the problem in this society is how adamantly college is pushed upon high school students. There are many trade school opportunities, certificate programs, etc. that can provide a financially supportive life for you as well. Find something you enjoy, and make a life for yourself doing it.
It is not very easy to grow up, especially when you have nothing planned out for your own future. But there can also be something quite beautiful in all the confusion. Don't let your now distract from your future. And certainly refuse to let your mind go weary with worry before there is even anything to worry about. Take care of yourselves, and I believe all the rest will fall into place (with a little hard work and dedication, of course).
On the contrary, it could also be a negative one, but we will never know which until we try.
I saw this tweet about a week ago that I feel encapsulates the argument I'm trying to make here; if we spend too much time wondering "what if?", or over-thinking potential future experiences before they even come, we are forcing ourselves to experience that stress and uneasiness before it physically arrives. Let's assume this future change turns out to be one of the best things that ever happen to us - we have basically corrupted that joy by convincing ourselves it may be awful - so why do we choose to live like that?
Newt Scamander once said "my philosophy is worrying means you suffer twice." So why don't we omit that worry in the first place, and simply choose to experience every change we come upon? It's easier said than done of course, or so we always say, but that shouldn't mean we don't try.
I'm only 20, and one of my biggest fears for my life was that I didn't know what I wanted to do with it. I had gone through two years at community college and graduated with an Associate's degree, but when I went to orientation at my transfer university and expressed my lack of chosen major, the supervisor simply said "you're able to change your major every 48 hours!" as if that was some sort of perk. But I can't change my schedule every 48 hours, so I'd have to finish a rather useless semester just to start all over again in the next one. And that would go on and on for as long as I changed my mind.
So instead I changed my mind on college, and decided not to go.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, I think the problem in this society is how adamantly college is pushed upon high school students. There are many trade school opportunities, certificate programs, etc. that can provide a financially supportive life for you as well. Find something you enjoy, and make a life for yourself doing it.
It is not very easy to grow up, especially when you have nothing planned out for your own future. But there can also be something quite beautiful in all the confusion. Don't let your now distract from your future. And certainly refuse to let your mind go weary with worry before there is even anything to worry about. Take care of yourselves, and I believe all the rest will fall into place (with a little hard work and dedication, of course).
Comments