By: Rebecca James
Feeling lost in the journey of life is part of the process.
When I was 19, I loved reading open when letters. Written personalizes notes just for me. One particular night I found a book on amazon called Read This If. A collection of letters that help with anything important you need in life. Skimming through the book, I found a chapter called, “Read this if you are 23 and Lost by Heidi Priebe.” I wasn’t 23 at the time, but I was feeling lost in life. I did not know what my next move would be, and I feared what the future may hold for me. To summarize, the chapter talked about how feeling lost in life is perfectly normal. You are in the place where you need to be and being lost can be the most rewarding thing in life.
Reading this made me realize a few things about myself:
- I am not willing to settle for less.
- Being lost is not a bad thing.
- It’s a brave thing to admit that you are unsure in life.
- Whether you are 18, 19, 23 and even 54, you can always reinvent yourself.
The tears were flowing when I finished reading that chapter. I was finally able to admit that I was feeling lost and I do not know what I am doing in life (to be honest I still don’t). However, I am certain of what I want to do with my life now, but it took a while to figure out. To give you a mini backstory of myself; I am original from Brooklyn, New York but moved to Effort, Pennsylvania when I was ten years old. As a kid, being married with six kids and being a full-time stay-at-home mom was a dream. Now, I still want marriage, but the idea of having that many children gives me a nightmare. As I got older, I learned more about myself, my likes, dislikes and things that fascinated me.
I enjoyed being by myself and learning how to be comfortable in my skin.
I enrolled in a community college and discovered that I have a passion for social media and psychology. Graduated with honors, and now I am here at West Chester University trying to get my bachelor’s in media and culture and possibly a minor in psychology and human resources.
It’s weird thinking back to how lost I felt in life. I was so afraid of the future and terrified of what it may hold for me. I admit I am still a bit scared of the unknown, but I am willing to face it head-on. Even if it means I might change my major again or do something entirely different. I changed my major to Media and Culture one hour before the fall semester started and had a complete class schedule change. I know that I am in college to learn and find out more about myself. Every small and major experience that made me who I am today, I am thankful for.
I have told you a bit about me and my story of feeling lost in life. Now I would like to impart some wisdom from someone who was once lost and is still trying to figure out life. You don’t have to have it all figured out right now. Enjoy life and the experiences that it will teach you. I know that it can be scary. We have to think about college loans, internships, jobs, and still balance a social life. Bills are scary, global warming is scary, and trying to decide if you should eat in or get takeout is a major decision. (I know it is for me)
Also, it is okay to admit that you feel lost.
Life is not always easy, and trying to figure out what you want to do is hard. I started out doing general studies because I was not sure what I wanted to major in. Which allowed me to grow and figure out what I enjoy doing. In the chapter about feeling lost the author, Heidi, wrote, “If you are never lost, you will never get found”. It was then I knew that what I am feeling is completely natural, and I will not settle for anything less than what I deserve.
One of the most important lessons I learned on my college journey is that mistakes are a part of life. Do not, and I repeat, DO NOT be afraid of making errors. Mistakes are how you learn more about yourself and how you grow. Please do not be like me and end up in the hospital because you are stress over getting a B on an exam (true story). Elon Musk made plenty of mistakes before he was able to get a Telsa out on the road. Do not be afraid of mistakes. They do not define you.
I truly, hope that my words inspire you to not be afraid of what the future may hold.
Although it is daunting at times there are special moments that will define you and your character. Feeling lost is not a bad thing, and it’s okay to acknowledge that. As the saying goes, Rome was not built in a day.
You do not have to have it all figured out.
If you want to read Heidi Priebe’s post, then click here.
