My whole life I have worked towards being one thing… adaptable.
Ever since I could remember, I always considered myself a planner. I was someone who needed to know what was always going on, so I could prepare for the worst-case scenario, never overbook myself, or give myself a chance to feel left out. Over time, I learned that you can’t always expect things to go the way you want it to and sometimes your best experiences in life are the ones you don’t expect.
As I grew into myself, I became more outgoing and go with the flow. I still love my planner and I use it daily in college to keep track of assignments and when and where I need to be… but if I’m being honest, most of the stuff in my planner I vaguely remember doing. The memories that flow through me and cheer me up when I’m having a bad day are the spontaneous things I do, typically at night, with my best friends. The ones that I always think twice about doing because I know I should get started on a homework assignment or get some extra sleep. But I have to say; almost every time I end up smiling a little harder, laughing a little louder, and having a new inside joke to make a little too often.
This newfound development of adaptability came in handy once COVID-19 hit.
I’m not going to lie, being sent home before freshman year of college was over was definitely a bummer. Once you start making friends, finally adjusting to being away from home, and living the college lifestyle, everything changes in an instant. Not only do you have to leave your newfound friends, but you have to social distance from some of your loved ones back home. You’re left to communicate with people through a screen, are barely able to leave your house, and when you do, you’re forced to wear a mask and pray you do not encounter anyone that gives you any chance at contracting the virus. One thing I am still grateful for is that me and my loved ones are healthy and safe, and society is moving in the right direction by getting everyone vaccinated.
I guess my point to this spiel is that my determination to become more flexible years ago helped me in the midst of a pandemic. I’m not saying you have to go ahead and change your whole lifestyle, unless that’s something you’ve been wanting to work on, BUT I think it’s great to continue to improve on yourself and make minor adjustments where you can. Fast forward a whole year, and I feel even more appreciative for the people in my life than ever and ended up making some new additions. I try to live every day like it could be my last because sadly in this world, you never know when something is going to change unexpectedly. So… if you’re reading this, take it as a sign to take advantage of everything you can. Take that late drive or have a conversation with someone new. You might learn to look at things from a new perspective.