I believe everything happens for a reason, no matter what. As someone who graduated with a B.S. in Architecture but still worked in the service industry after graduating, I could honestly say I still had a good time and enjoyed my life. Working in the service allowed me to have a flexible schedule to travel when I wanted to and explore all of Colorado that I couldn’t when I was in college because of work and school commitments.
When COVID hit, I had even more free time and started picking up new things. I hiked my first 14er in Colorado, learned how to rock climb, went camping more times than I ever did in the past 10 years, and got the chance to go back to school to get my real estate license. There were more times than I can count where I felt stuck and had no idea what I was doing with my life, but that is literally LIFE. As I get older, I learned that everyone is figuring their life out day by day and no one is perfect. We learn something new every day that shapes us into the person we are in that moment!
What I’ve learned from the past year of going through life is, surround yourself with people who support you no matter what. Surround yourself with people who want to see you be the best version of yourself! Cheer your friends and family on and they will do the same and only want the best for you. Lastly, what has been helping me out A LOT lately is, reading motivational or self-love books. As humans, we are hardest on ourselves. We know ourselves inside and out and like to pick out all our flaws, but there is still so much good in us!
Reading books to better ourselves is a reminder that you’re not alone and everyone deals with similar things. Reading Atomic Habits made me realized how easy it was to pick up bad habits and how hard it is to start good habits, but consistency is key. The most recent book I’ve been reading is My Truth, a “free-verse book about self-appreciation, endurance, forgiveness, and love for life and anyone that lives it” by Reina Ashley, a friend I met while working in the service industry. Every poem I’ve read, I have related to at some point in my life, and reminds me I am not alone no matter what.
Have you just “winged it” in college? That is how I got through college, I just “winged it”. I did what I needed to, but I was a huge procrastinator and life is still about winging it! Do what you need to do to be happy, but also you are only responsible for yourself so make sure you’re taking care of yourself and not letting your flaws get to you, but remember you are not alone.