With Thanksgiving break coming to a close, schoolwork and finals are coming in at a full force, and my mind is at its highest capacity. Between struggling with classes, final deadlines and jobs, my stress is at an all-time high. But one thing came to me with intense clarity: it is so easy to get caught up on what’s wrong in life rather than what’s right. We always find ourselves scrambling to find an answer, scrambling to find out what the root of all of our problems are. My conclusion may not resolve my problems, or your problems, but it is a solution that can at least put us at ease if you feel anything like I do. This conclusion is simply this: It is okay not to know.
It’s okay not to know why you’re having a bad day. It’s okay not to know why one day you can’t make it to your early morning class. It’s okay not to know why you suddenly want nothing more than to run back to your hometown and crawl under the covers of your childhood bed.
I, like many of you, are always searching for an explanation to my rollercoaster of emotions. I want to know that there’s a reason behind each feeling, followed by a simple solution. I always want to know some method to ‘fix’ how I sometimes feel. But the answer I’ve decided to finally accept is that it’s okay not to have a full explanation. It’s okay not to know.
We all go through hardships, both little and large, that add to our overall strength and character. The fact is, whether you’re going through a hard time right now, you will make it out to the other side. You may feel confused and stressed, and not know why, but there will come a time when it will all disperse. I sure am sick of people telling me “it takes time,” but that couldn’t be more right. After some time, whether it’s a week or a year, you’ll find things become a little bit easier. You may not ever have some clear-cut answer to your problems, but I promise, it is okay not to know.