Life’s a great story filled with challenges
As I write my final piece for The Eagle, I’m not sure if I’m supposed to present a motivational Ted Talk or pass some advice to all those who read the newspaper. So, I’ll do what’s always worked for me, compare life to a television series.
Life is filled with joy, stress and plot twists, so the analogy that it’s a television show the universe is watching always made sense to me. All I can hope for is that, when I look back at my last four seasons in college, they were at least captivating and every moment mattered.
In your college spin-off show, the cast surrounding you may be the most important part outside of what you are doing. You meet some of the greatest people in life while at college, but sadly, it’s only for a condensed time.
Your ability to adapt to casting changes will be vital to your show’s success. Most young adults suck at solitude because we’ve been surrounded by people since birth. But you must embrace being alone, it’s a test of your intuition and courage to navigate life independently. The most captivating portion of any show is when the main character overcomes adversity on their own.
Make sure whatever you are doing, it’s something worthy of improving toward a goal larger than yourself. A fun party with good people creates a fun episode to look back on, but too much of that thrill-seeking behavior can destroy momentum to build a lifestyle worth pursuing.
You also experience a plethora of advertisements nearly everywhere you go. Whether a faculty member or student peer-pressure you to join their club, or it’s an event that you just can’t miss, advertisements will appear. Be mindful of which opportunities you devote your time to.
Make your television series memorable by doing good things for yourself. Speaking from experience, life feels much better when you have control of your schedule and habits. College throws obstacles at you with the most inconsistent schedules, so you must adjust quickly.
Finally, a good show has good and bad moments, and one emotion doesn’t last forever. No matter your circumstance, muster the strength to make the small moments matter for yourself and others. Life is stressful and we are all connected in some crazy way, so why not treat others with kindness and respect.
Enough of the television show talk, my time here is nearly finished, so here is my final piece of advice.
No matter what, throw your ego out the door. What you’ve done may be cool but focus on where you are going. Narcissism and arrogance are deadly traits that will consume your character. Your greatest impacts are small gestures that come from the heart.
You are responsible for your life, don’t follow in footsteps or replicate mediocrity, carve your own path.