Installing that Personal Upgrade
With the start of the new year, I have found many healthy changes already coming into effect. Some of these changes have stemmed from having a different school schedule, but some of them have happened directly from my four words for the year: Purpose, Self Care, Gratitude, and Connection.
Though last year had its awesome moments, there were certainly enough that bummed me out. It sucked at times, I won’t lie. And often, I found myself feeling out of control and completely exhausted. That’s why this year I want to incorporate these four words from the beginning. I really like that the new year ushers in fresh opportunities for improvement. Usually, I appreciate evaluating where I’m at and compare the current moment to the previous year. The easiest comparison normally comes from school. How healthy was my last semester? What about now? How have I improved, if at all?
These questions are the kind that I really like to dig deep into. After being in school for a week now, I have noticed that my mind hasn’t been overflowing with stressors. For instance, my homework load is considerably lighter. My classmates are even more engaging. In so doing, I have made more connections with my classmates because they actually speak to me! It’s fascinating to see the growth that has already begun. What a relief, honestly. For a while there, I didn’t think my circle of friends was going to increase at all in college.
For the last couple of years, I have made it my initiative to make lasting positive upgrades and become a stronger, young woman in college. Being an introvert all of my life has certainly made it difficult to talk to those my age — I have always connected with adults a lot faster than my peers. But I can see myself improving and I love it! Have you ever had those moments where you’re starting to cheer for yourself? Like, you realize that you’re becoming more independent and rely less on what others think of you? Honestly, I still struggle a lot with making my own choices. Yet, the dependent nature that seems to have always been natural for me has started to fade. And really, there have been moments where I don’t like doing things alone. I don’t exactly know why I’m uncomfortable with my own presence at times, but I’m encouraged that the anxious thoughts are getting quieter in my mind. In essence, I’m peeking out of the cocoon!
This year is the time to install your personal upgrades. You should definitely join me. It’s super fun. One of the things I finally put into words this year was that I’m a learner. I like to learn and, really, I enjoy school. The stress of maintaining good grades, GPA, and positive reputation with your professors can be difficult. Believe me, I know it well. Still, I find that academia inspires me in a way that other life events don’t. I crave intellectual conversation. The smell of books is enticing. Hoarding pretty journals is a hobby, and who knows if I’ll ever use some of them? Professors are fascinating individuals with experience. I just really like learning!
So what do you know about yourself now that you didn’t fully realize before? It’s a valid question to ask. Maybe I overthink too much or expect more than what I see, but it seems that most people don’t want to know who they are. I’m not the perfect person, by any means, yet I find that my soul longs for deep connection with others. And that my fellow souls know who they are in the present moment. There is so much beauty in life that I now understand my fault of ignoring it for a time. Technology has distracted me from the present moments, and I’ve let it pique my interest more and more. Sometimes I wish we could all live like Henry Thoreau in Walden. Alone in the quiet woods with only our single selves. The precious lesson I gathered from his book was that it’s unique when we choose to be self-aware. And with the increased production of technological advancements these days, it seems we grow more and more unaware of our surroundings and who we are as individuals. That, our self-upgrades get set aside for the newest upgrades at our finger tips. When the reality is, acknowledging life is one of the biggest self-upgrades available.
I want to leave you with this thought. Are you better today than you were last year? Have you made any self-upgrades? If so, please comment. One of the greatest gifts we have and will ever receive is putting voice to our thoughts.
All my love,
JustACollegeStudent
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.
~ Henry David Thoreau, Walden ~
