What Do You Want?

It’s graduation time around my area. People graduating from college, graduating from high school, middle school, pre-school. To me, graduation indicates moving into the future, going towards the next thing. It’s been a little while since I’ve officially graduated from some type of school program. And it makes me reflect on those days. Those simpler days, where there wasn’t a ton of responsibility. Well, not like my responsibility of today. Anyway……

In my reflection, I’m thinking about the choices I made, profession wise. So really, I guess I’m thinking back to my college days. I went into college knowing what I wanted to study and which degree I was after. Sometimes I wonder if I chose the degree I did without having a lot of thought behind it. Did I pick it because I thought I should? Because I thought I was being noble? Because I wanted to help people? Maybe all of these things. But looking back on it, I think my choice really made me feel like I was confined.

I majored in Psychology and earned my undergraduate degree and went right on to graduate school and earned my Master’s in Psychological Counseling. I had a basic plan in my head of what I thought I would want to do as a career. The job/position I took wasn’t exactly what I thought I would be doing, but it was in the “correct” field and close enough to what I had envisioned. Buuuuuttt this isn’t really about the job I took.

I think my main motivating factor in choosing my degree path was really about wanting to help people. I have always found myself wanting to help people. At least, I’d like to think so. Over the years, I’ve discovered that there are many ways to help people. And I could have done this in a lot of different ways. So why did I take the path I did? Perhaps because that’s what I said I would do. I’m not sure. I know I enjoy psychology and attempting to understand people and the whys behind the things they do. Of course, this can lead to frustration, as every rule seems to have an exception.

So, I’m still looking back and reflecting. I’m thinking there are a lot of things I would have liked to tell my younger self. Things I know now, that seemed unimaginable then. Struggles of now that makes the “struggles” of then seem like field day. I know when hard times are happening, it feels like the worst thing ever.  But not everything that felt like the worst thing ever, was the worst. Sure, there were some really hard and sad things that happened waaaayyy back then. But when I think back, I would surely tell myself……..

~~ “There is indeed truth to don’t sweat the small stuff.” While cliché, it’s true. There will be countless things to think about and to agonize over and worry about. Don’t add on to the mountain of concerns with something unimportant like…“I wonder if that kid in class was mad at me last week for asking the teacher a question?” (As if that should be a problem…..)

~~ “Be kind and non-judgmental.” I would have to toot my own horn here and say I’m generally both of these things, but I’m sure there were times when I followed the crowd of inconsideration and wasn’t as kind as I could have been….

~~ Which leads me to …. “Don’t always follow the crowd.” They might not be leading you to where you want to go. It’s ok to be an individual and do you own thing, have your own opinions, have your own experiences.
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~~ Which leads me to my point…. “Do what YOU want to do, go where YOU want to go.” This is something I would for sure like to tell my younger self. Most things don’t have to be forever. So if you don’t like what you’re doing, you can change it. But, do what you want to do to be the happiest, most outstanding person you can be. So before the responsibilities of today have take over, take some time to sit back and think…. “What do you want?”
 
~Lynn