Spring semester has flown by for us Boilers, and it’s hard to believe that summer vacation is right around the corner. We’ve all been working hard this year, making self-discoveries, navigating through various challenges that life throws at us, and doing our best to laugh at ourselves and learn along the way. Personally, I’m not sure what exactly I’m going to be doing this summer, but I do know that I’m taking this break from the stresses of school and work seriously.
I want to be free. Free from the worries and negativity that sometimes cloud around me when I’m at school. College is a time to have fun and be happy, but it goes without saying that college also provides some of the worst and hardest challenges we’ve ever experienced. Summer has always been a time where I can relax and “let go” of everything negative that may have happened to me throughout the past school year. I am ready for this release.
I’m going to nourish myself. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. I never want to stop learning, even if it is the summer. I need to keep myself sharp so that when senior year arrives in August, I’ll be ready to take on anything. I want to keep myself healthy; exercising and eating as healthy as I can, because a sound mind and a sound body go hand-in-hand. I want to teach myself to accept my flaws.
I will spend time with those who matter most. I’m at a point in my life where I can’t spend time focusing on people who bring my life down. I want to associate with people who make me happy, and I want to spend as much of my time with these people as possible. Once you cut toxic people from your life, you find that you start living in the ways that make you happy.
Taking chances will be a priority. Instead of sitting on the sidelines, I’m going to put myself out there as much as possible. This can be hard for me because I’m a very shy person with a very limited comfort zone, but we learn from the opportunities and the risks we take. Many of the good things in my life now are a result of me simply taking a shot in the dark.
Most importantly, I will do all things (to the best of my ability, at least) with love.
When you put love into the world, you get love back. It’s so easy to be overcome with pessimistic thoughts and attitudes, whether they be directed at yourself or another person, and I want to cut that habit as much as I can. By simply taking a step back from any given situation that’s bothering me and assessing, “Is this going to matter in a week?” I can more accurately gauge how to respond.