February 17th, 2021: the day I turned 22 years old. Celebrating my birthday this year wasn’t the same as in previous years. Usually I would throw a party surrounded by all my friends and family. This year, however, because of the pandemic, I had a Zoom birthday party game night with my closest friends and Facetimed my family as I am thousands of miles away at school. Now that I am another year older, I reflect on what I have learned in the past 22 years of my life.
1. Good things come to those who wait
Having patience has played a major role in my life. With everything that has happened during the pandemic, my patience has been tested a lot. This past year I was constantly waiting to get an email from my summer camp job that we would be running this summer or from Mount Holyoke with an update on whether or not I would be able to go back to campus for my senior year. I waited and waited and waited and finally, I got the updates I wanted.
2. A positive attitude will get you places
Staying positive even in the most negative situations will help with your outlook on life. For me, when I was younger, I would always complain when I was going on a long hike. However, as I got older, I started to have a more positive attitude about hiking and would think about how if I have a positive attitude it will make the end of the hike more rewarding.
3. Life doesn’t go as planned and sometimes that can be good
During my senior year of high school, I applied to multiple colleges and had my heart set on getting an early decision acceptance into Tufts University. When I didn’t get in, I was heartbroken, but realized it wasn’t meant to be. I worked hard on my other applications and then decided to go to Mount Holyoke College for the next four years. I never considered going to a historically women’s college but the decision was ultimately one that I will never regret. If I hadn’t decided to go to Mount Holyoke, I probably would have never found my love for psychology and met the friends who would become my family.
Do these lessons resonate with you?
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