It seems like just yesterday that I walked onto campus for the first time, attended my first class, took my first exam, and experienced so many other “firsts.” Bright-eyed and ready to face the world, 17-year-old me was ready to take on whatever college had to throw my way; everything except for a global pandemic halfway through my sophomore year. Now, I’m about to endure everything I was so excited to experience for the first time, for the very last.
So much is going to change for me and my friends in the next coming months. All of the friends I’ve made and the people I’ve met over the last few years will go in different directions, just like three years ago when we all graduated high school. Except for this time, everything is different—this time, we’ll all be entering the real world.
It’s scary to think that in a couple of months. We’re going to be full-fledged functioning members of society with jobs and stable incomes or going on to obtain a professional degree. But this isn’t everyone. Some of us may not even know exactly what we want to do for the rest of our life. They say you’re supposed to figure that out in college but with a roadblock like a global pandemic blocking the majority of every college student’s path, it may seem impossible to know exactly what you’re going to do after you walk across the stage at graduation.
The future can be scary to those who feel like they have no idea what they’re doing or what they’re going to end up doing. Fear of the unknown and the uncertainty the job marketplace has to offer in today’s economy sparks a cycle of questions that swarm throughout the media and every college student’s mind. What will I do with my life once I leave college? Will there be a job in a field I am interested in? Will the job allow me to live on my own and provide for myself and a partner/spouse? Will there even be jobs left to be hired for once I graduate? But all of this fear is normal.
Fear is a driving force in every single living organism’s life. From humans to animals to even tiny little bacteria and viruses that cannot be seen with the human eye, fear is what keeps all of us going. Fear is what keeps us alive. The fear we experience in our day-to-day lives is completely normal, and without it, life would be pretty boring. No one would ever step out of their comfort zone, make a change or take a risk. Letting fear consume your life will only set you back and prevent you from achieving your goals. Being afraid of the future and failure is a frivolous task; there is no sense in being afraid of something that is out of your control.
So instead of being constantly sad and scared of what is to come, we should all look forward to the now. Live in the moment and not be afraid of what might happen six months or even six years from now. Life is too short to waste any time worrying about what the future could potentially hold.Â
One of my favorite quotes of all time is by Babe Ruth. He once said to “never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” Yes, he said this in reference to the game of baseball, but in a broader sense, it applies to life as well. Life is very much like a game. You make decisions, take risks and play by the rules (hopefully for the most part). Sometimes, you win and sometimes you lose. It’s okay to be sad and scared about the future, but you can’t let it consume you and inhibit your potential to succeed. So don’t be afraid of what your life may hold: swing for the fences and steal some bases because in reality. Life moves by too fast to be scared all the time.