Going My Own Way

December 10 – Wisdom Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out?


No matter what I told anyone, my hopes for my future college plans were always met with skepticism and uncertainty; "are you sure? It's such a big school!"
I would look that person straight in the face and answer with a simple "yes I've never been more sure of anything in a very long time." And that was the truth. 


For months I had been debating this, both with family members, friends and within my own mind. Deciding what college to go to wasn't a decision that I was taking lightly; it would involve a lot of financial sacrifices, and I didn't want to have to constantly be wondering if I made the right decision (as I did in high school). It was something that I researched, prayed about and thought about daily. 


And despite the responses that I was getting for my impending decision (I had one person tell me that there was no way in hell I would survive there), I knew in my heart that that was what I wanted; heck, I had been wanting to go there since I was a sophomore. It was just a matter of ignoring all the self-doubt and tuning out the doubts that were coming from others around me. 


So when I received my acceptance letter (well, more like looked online) it took me all but five minutes to officially decide where I would be going to school for the next four years. Since then I have not looked back. 


The wisest thing I did this year was not listen to what everyone else was saying, and instead  I followed my instincts. I guess that's probably the wisest thing for anyone to do in general, but for me it was more of a triumph then anything I've done up to this point. Up until my senior year in high school, I had always allowed myself to be influenced by someone else's opinion (or multiple opinions) when it came to making decisions. When I was very young, there were decisions that were made for me. I never really felt satisfied by those choices because I was doing what I felt I needed to do, not what I wanted to do. 


But this time, it was different. For once, I would be doing something that was going to make me happy. I was walking on my own path and whatever anyone else said at that point would just go in one ear and out the other.


Today, I feel as though I have more joy in my life; it has changed me in ways and given me opportunities that I never thought to be possible. More so, it's proof that if something is meant to be, it will be. 


Don't get me wrong, it hasn't been easy; there have been struggles that I've had to deal with, and I don't always make the healthiest decisions (physically or emotionally). But you know what? I don't regret any of it. Everything that you experience in life will affect you one way or the other; but it's up to you to choose what to do with it. 


I have defied so many odds since the moment I was born; I believe that if I work hard enough for it and if it feels right, it can happen. I once read in a book that you don't face obstacles just to keep you from doing something; obstacles are there to help you see just how badly you want something. I've run into plenty of walls and will keep doing so as time goes on; but just because it might take awhile doesn't mean that I won't eventually kick them down.