In the first few days of the new semester, I have been hit with some very difficult challenges.
Ones that I was sure I wouldn't have to tackle until maybe later down the road.
But life surprised me once again and decided to test the will of my strength.
It's made me start thinking that if this all happens in the first week of the new semester,
how are the other weeks going to play out? Right now, I'm not too sure I want to find out.
Another topic this week has left me to ponder is what my future looks like outside the great world of college. I had a plan, but I didn't. But even now, that slightly thought out timeline isn't looking clear.
This semester for me was all about learning how to "adult".
You know, that thing your parents do on the regular and you swear you don't know how.
It's filled with bills, taxes, insurance plans, 401k, an office cubicle, responsibility, and lack of fun.
That's what I originally thought "being an adult" meant,
but the past 24-hours have taught me otherwise.
I may be sitting here on Pinterest finding out how to make a budget plan, how to build up my credit, even how to become a better morning person, but there's more to being an adult I have found.
Here's what I have discovered...
Being an adult means
staying silent when you just want to scream.
It's not about having a lack of power to say a word or two when something frustrates you.
It's about realizing you do have that power and choosing to keep your opinion to yourself.
Being an adult does involve times when standing up for yourself, or even someone else, is necessary.
But maturing also is realizing that not everything needs a comment,
and not everything needs to be talked about.
Staying silent isn't a lack of strength, it's a sign of strength.
Being an adult means
sometimes letting go.
"Letting go" comes in all shapes and sizes, and can range to multiple situations.
It means letting go of toxicity that may be in your life, but you still seem to hold on to.
It's letting go of that life you had perfectly planned out and being okay with it.
Letting go of situations you just have no control over, no matter how much you have tried.
Possibly letting go of a love one who needs their own time to grow and see the world.
I believe this is one the toughest parts about being an adult.
Seeing something you work so hard to grasp, and knowing it would just be easier to say goodbye.
But it's a part of you. So that goodbye isn't always the simplest one.
Sometimes we have to let go of what's killing us, even if it's killing us to let go.
Being an adult means
knowing you won't always make the right decisions.
But obviously, how do you know they're not right for you until you make them?
As an adult, you make important decisions everyday. Maybe you don't realize it, but you do.
But when something doesn't happen as planned, that doesn't mean you're a failure.
I see my parents, my family members, professors, etc. handling life in front of me everyday.
They have jobs, a warm home, successful careers.
But do I honestly think that all happened without effort? Without error?
You learn to make decisions based on your beliefs, attitudes, abilities, your likes and dislikes,
instead of the beliefs, attitudes, abilities, like and dislikes of others.
A quote I love from Maya Angelou states...
"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."
Being an adult means
being brave.
There are going to be moments where you might stop and think, "What am I doing?"
Some times, you're just not going to know. You might think you have everything figured out,
until some thing comes along and makes you question everything.
Don't let it defeat you and make you feel as if you have no purpose in life.
Be brave, and take head on the new path you're going to have to conquer.
Whether this be job-related, relationship-related, money, or something more,
being an adult is knowing that life does happen.
And you have to continue on.
Being an adult means
being who you really are.
I'm learning the hard way that being me is the best version of myself that I can possibly be.
I thought being an adult meant getting that education, getting that job, getting that money.
And in the end, that's what creates your happiness when you grow up.
I thought that's what I needed to motivate me to becoming successful, achieving a degree that will land me in a job that pays the bills and luxuries I may want.
But, I now realize, that that's not me.
Being an adult is accepting who you are and loving every inch of it.
It's not pretending, it's not rehearsal for the real show,
it's presenting yourself to world and saying, "This is me. Accept it."
So.... this is me.
I'm not motivated by money, I'm motivated by happiness (my lifetime goal).
I won't pretend I like going out on weekends all the time, because I prefer to relax instead.
I won't hide the fact that I love doing nerdy things, because they're fun.
I won't act like my cat isn't one of my best friends, because she is.
I won't lie to you when I say I have no idea what I want to do with life.
And I definitely won't hide that it scares the living heck out of me.
Being an adult isn't waking up one day and thinking,
"Hey! I pay bills, and have a job, and getting married. I must be an adult now."
It isn't just living on your own, going away, or becoming financially independent.
And honestly, some times, being grown up doesn't necessarily mean you have your shit together.
If this were all true, it would be many many years before I became an adult member of society.
It's not changing, it's just viewing things differently.
Until next time,
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