The Thankful List

As a soon to be college grad I can tell you one thing that has been haunting my dreams since August, change. The unknown has always had a profound grip on my nerves. I don’t like it but as I have gotten older, I have tried to accept it to the best of my ability. 

It’s interesting how four years ago I planned a little life out for myself about how things would go and where I would be in four years. Standing at the end of my college career four years later, it is very different from where I thought I’d be. Some of my plans didn’t work out, some I am still trying to attain, and others (the glorious few) have far exceeded my expectations of what I thought I could accomplish.

As of now, I am not sure what the future holds, I still have my big goals of what I need to do and where I would like to be. It’s just going to be hard to leave Virginia Tech and the comfort of going to classes, sorority meetings, and being surrounded by mountains and Hokie stone. It’s hard to settle with the fact that this time next year I will not be sitting in the Biology Building stressing over classes. It’s even harder to settle with the fact that I have no idea what I will be doing this time next year. 

But even though I have these feelings I have to look forward to the future, I have to look change in the eye and say “okay what’s coming next.” Because we can’t just sit around and lament on the past, we can’t become trapped in wishing we could go back in time and do it all over again. We have to look for the future and see what’s in store for us there, because that is where we all are headed, ready or not. 

You cannot keep making yourself upset or angry about things that have happened in the past. It is so tempting to revisit old hurt feelings but this doesn’t help soothe the past, it only hurts the present. It brings things up that were supposed to be laid to rest, forgiven, and forgotten. People change, people grow. You have grown yourself. Therefore, stop reverting back to and thinking of your past self and past situations. Don’t ruin the future with things from the past. Recognize that they have happened and move on. 

Having a bad day? A bad week? We are halfway through the week and that means if you answered yes to either of these questions, it can only get better!

Take time to make a few lists of what you have done well and of as many “everyday” positives you can think of. These can be as simple as: whipped cream on hot chocolate, your favorite song coming on in traffic, or a kind smile. The more you focus on all the positives, big or small, the better your week will be.

We’re halfway through:change what you can, be positive for what you have.

There is always another way. Change your situation entirely if you can or little by little each day. Don’t be stuck, you can always switch something around. There’s always a second option.