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Alrighty, folks, the “back to school” signs are up and plastered all over the stores. Here we go! I am about to be a junior in college, which is absolutely mind-blowing. I turn twenty in a few weeks– again, mind-blowing. Every year around my birthday, I think about the past year and game plan my attitude for the year ahead. These are the words I probably needed to hear throughout the past year, and some of the words I plan to use in the next year:
First off, fully recognize that you are enough. You are more than enough! You are really freaking amazing! And yeah, I know you’ve heard this from your mom or grandma, or best friend a few too many times, but you need to believe it. If you have to look yourself in the mirror and say it out loud, do it. Life is hard sometimes, you will fail and struggle, and there will be people who do not see
the amazing person you are. Oh well, their loss.
Next, realize that everyone has qualities that make them special, interesting, and valuable. I think sometimes we expect people to react to situations the same way we would. But obviously, and thankfully, we are all very different. Embrace your own qualities, and also embrace the qualities of others. Make more of an effort to love people for who they are and stop expecting them to act
or react the way you want them to. We are all so different. Let’s learn from each other’s differences and be better together!
(Now, this part I stole this from my momma.) Not everyone you meet needs to be your best friend or even a friend at all. And not every best friend is always available or around forever. God puts
people into our lives when they are supposed to be there. Stop trying to force relationships or friendships that do not work. If someone wants to be in your life, I promise you that they will make
an effort to be there. That being said, sometimes people go through “stuff ” and just need a moment to figure themselves out. Let them. But also, be that good friend that lets them know that you are there for them when they are ready to be friends.
Lastly and probably the hardest one for me: Be vulnerable, and be honest. Being vulnerable is scary because we probably all fear rejection. I do. Work on pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.
Sometimes go ahead and tell people how you really feel. Again, you are really freaking amazing, and if someone doesn’t see that, it is their loss, my friend! Be honest with others, and I mean really
honest (again this is scary sometimes), but also be honest with yourself. Whenever I am questioning if I am being honest with myself, I ask, “if this was my best friend going through this, what advice would I give?” Of course, I ultimately decide to treat myself the same way I would treat my best friend.
Ok, take these thoughts and go out there and “kill it” this year. I’ll take these thoughts and have an amazing junior year in college, and maybe learn a few more lessons. I’m rooting for the both of us.
