No Season Is Ever Wasted
Right now, life does not look how it usually does for most people around the world. Some of us are busier than ever, others have been laid off, and others are in a transitional stage. For me, this transitional stage involved moving back home with my mom as a 22 year old college graduate. That was definitely not the plan I had for myself.
After taking the fall semester of my senior year of college off from school, I anticipated going back in the spring for my final moments and then launching into my new life as a financially independent adult. Unfortunately, many young adults are in this same position right now and in a way it feels like we went backwards, down the latter, or have not continued along the timeline we thought that we were supposed to be on. Growing up, I looked at life linearly. There were specific steps that I would take and if I took those steps, my life would pan out in the way in which everyone around me deemed as successful.
If this past few years has taught me anything, it is that life is unpredictable and far from linear.
After spending time at home with my family, I was one of the lucky ones to find a job in this crazy economic time. But even with that job and starting my own business, my life has not been following the linear path I thought it would. This period has been filled with moments of joy amongst those I care about most, excitement about the new opportunities, fear about the future, confusion about what it really means to be a responsible adult, and times where I have felt way in over my head.
So what does all of this mean? For the past year, my life has looked drastically different than I thought it would and it would have been easy to simply look at it as a waste of a year or a year where my life was simply on pause. Recently, I have been trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together and come up with what this season has brought into my life.
First of all, like many people around the world right now, this season has taught me what is truly important. I’ve watched my friends and family members limit the amount of time and money they spend on unnecessary commodities. Instead of a big night out, spending on an elaborate dinner and a concert with a group of 20 friends, those around me have opted for home cooked meals, game nights, and good conversation with their closest circles.
Next, i’ve had to humble myself. I’ll be the first to say it- USC was not your typical eating ramen noodles and budgeting kind of school. My life the past four years had extreme highs and extreme lows due to being in an environment where I was surrounded by some of the smartest, wealthiest, most attractive kids in the country. It was truly a roller coaster. As much fun as I had, it also set pretty high standards about what my life should look like going forward and the reality is that a starting job is a starting job. As fun as my line of work can be (I work in media for a bridesmaid dress company) it is not as glamorous as social media can make it look. Because of this, I’ve had to learn to be smarter with my time, money, and energy and I’ve had to take a look at my life and truly understand that I am not entitled to anything. Your early 20s are your years where you pay your dues and sometimes that is not the most fun pill to swallow.
Because of this, I’ve changed my expectations. I have high hopes for my future, but I do not expect or want my weekends to look the way they did pre-COVID.
Lastly, I’ve learned to slow down and take it one day at a time. It sounds easy and I know it’s been said before, but trusting that things will work out rather than micro managing and planning out my life has been the biggest takeaway of this past year. This season has been filled with little life lessons and though I may not be able to see the big picture right now or know why I am learning these things, I am able to trust that this time has not simply been a time of putting life on pause.
No season is ever truly wasted.
