Monday, 6:35 pm, on a Southwest Airline flight towards St. Louis, MO, I was ready to embark on the final step of a pretty intense recruiting process. In the next two and a half hours on the airplane, I pondered everything and anything that was currently happening in my life right now: I should be working on Senior Design. I can’t believe I’m flying to a job interview. I wish the people in front of me drugged their kid so they would stop crying. Of all the various thoughts rolling through my head, the top thought was that I was a hypocrite.
Flashback to this time one year ago, my boyfriend was going through similar recruiting processes. As soon as I heard “rotational program” and “potentially nowhere near New Jersey” I honestly checked out. I thought it was incredibly narcissistic for him to be putting himself out there for a global program when I knew he could secure something close to home. Flashback to a couple of months ago, my parents were genuinely curious where my job prospects might end. As soon as I mentioned “rotational program” and “potentially nowhere near New Jersey,” I definitely received the death glares I hadn’t seen since I drew on some walls with Sharpie as a kid (story for a future column). It was rather self-centered that my parents automatically assumed I would be working near and living at home as soon as I graduated. I might have mentioned it in passing, but definitely not what I totally had it mind for May. Seniors, selfishness is inevitable and is okay at this point in our lives. I have learned to completely accept it.
Coming from the person who thought others were being selfish, it is time for us to actually be selfish. Regardless of our endless job hunt, clearly my favorite topic, we need to start being selfish in multiple facets of our lives. Debating whether or not to apply for a job halfway across the world? Go for it. Debating whether or not to travel for spring break or after graduation? Go for it. Debating whether or not to eat that last slice of pizza even though you know you ate more than the friends you’re splitting it with? DEFINITELY go for it (also, I’m sorry to my apartment). We are young enough, have more than enough energy, and arguably plenty of money to do what we want to do. I’m a person who truly believes in destiny, and if something is meant to be, it’s meant to be. There are tons of things potentially holding you back from doing something completely worthwhile, but what is bound to happen in your life will eventually happen one way or another. How to focus on ourselves obviously varies depending on the end goals we all have. All in all, this is the time we have to really worry about ourselves. There is truly no time like the present and no one else to spoil and do what you want to do.
Sitting on the plane might have been the quite literal opposite of what year ago me was thinking, and what three months ago me was sort of going at. If there’s anything I truly took away from the experience, it is to worry about you. Yes, I have to consider many loved ones before making a decision, but they’re my “loved ones” for a reason. Yes, I have to consider my personal growth and what I can get out of experiences, but you have to start somewhere. Yes, I have to focus on me because honestly, my future happiness depends on it. At the end of the day, being selfish (sparingly of course) might be the most rewarding thing you do in a while. Not to drop the iron truth hammer, but what you spend doing now could dictate the rest of your life. So cheers to being selfish. Go out there and do what you need to do now so that future you will be happy you did later.
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