The unbelievably great weather in Hoboken came to an end with the start of drizzles and harsh winds this past weekend. While the warm sun gave a serotonin boost to everyone, we saw that nothing can last forever as the clouds covered the sky. Personally, I really enjoy the rain and the way it hits my window and creates a soothing atmosphere that never fails to put me to sleep. My favorite thing to do during this weather is to take a walk down to the pier, feel the cold droplets on my face, and stare at the skyline. Surprisingly, I have not gotten sick from doing this yet. The skyline tends to motivate me on days like this. Staring at the crooked and weirdly shaped buildings that somehow are so similar yet so different never fails to make me feel inspired. It reminds me of my ultimate goal of realizing true independence through my career.
As first-year students, we feel immensely motivated to accomplish something. To change the world. There are days when I convince myself that I will leave a mark in whatever career path I chose to take. Sometimes I’m suddenly hit with the realization that I am in control of my own life, and I am the only one who should be truly living my life. As my CAL 105 professor said, “The world is our oyster so let’s do whatever we want.” While that thought is a little scary, it never fails to excite me. People will come and go, but you will always stick by you. I know, very philosophical, but the truth is that your career will give you back as much as you give it, which is something you can’t say about people. No shade.
Stevens is filled with dedicated and ambitious people who want to make a difference. But how do you differentiate between ambitious and over-ambitious or unrealistic? I think oftentimes we want to accomplish so many goals that we overwhelm ourselves with unrealistic expectations. Other times, we set ourselves to accomplish something but leave it incomplete midway through. Think about the number of times you took up the grand goal of changing yourself and going to the gym every day. How many times has that worked out? (Maybe this is a me problem). My point is that it should not be about how many things you have going on, but about how many things you can complete well and to your satisfaction. For this, you need discipline and dedication. A way to hold yourself accountable for the goals you set for yourself, and this is not easy to do.
This is especially a struggle for first-year students since we aren’t really sure what we want from our life yet. We lean towards being more explorative and constantly search for ways to gain more experience. This can get tiring at times as we look for ways to fill up our time and be less “lost.” Maybe this is a distraction that keeps me away from thinking too much about what exactly I want to do.
So what have I learned from my overthinking? I have recently started to realize that it is okay to go with the flow of life. Very profound, I am aware. Do what makes you happy and focus on yourself because there is nothing else that really matters. Look at me sharing my heartfelt opinions.
