The Importance of Being Patient

You do not have to figure it out all at once, be patient.

As you were going through your big life transition from High School to College you may have heard the phrase “College is about figuring out who you are and your purpose.” We are periodically reminded during our college experiences that college is where we truly begin to mature as adults. Though this is true, it goes much deeper than that. You do not just come to college and immediately know your life’s purpose, it’s not that simple. Life is not one size fits all, it is a journey. The societal pressures placed on students to have their lives figured out can be a lot for young adults to handle. The journey that you are on is your very own.

Many people feel the pressure from family members, friends, time of life, society, and even their own high standards to figure out everything that is happening in their lives. There may be pressure to be successful in your goals or decisions, very quickly. Some may even believe that since they aren’t completing their goals quickly enough, they are not worthy of reaching them.  However, this is not true. There is power in waiting, sometimes you just need to be patient.

Self-care is so important; you must take care of your needs to be the very best version of yourself. Taking care of yourself should be a priority, a part of your life journey that should never be neglected. Putting yourself first is essential when you are trying to create yourself and find your purpose. It’s not selfish to put yourself first, it is being responsible. Everyone’s opinion of where you should be in life should never be your concern. Being patient and waiting for the right time is what you should be concerned about. This is your life journey, and you are the one in charge. Taking the time to focus on yourself allows you to figure out what makes you happy and fulfilled.

College isn’t just about discovering yourself; it’s also about creating yourself. There will be enormous errors, daily revelations, and periods when you are absolutely lost as you are creating yourself. Still, you aren’t expected to have everything figured out in your life. Even though college life is full of time constraints, changes, and unsolved problems, we can still work on how we see ourselves as individuals.

We can construct ourselves every day during our college years by making our own decisions, becoming more independent, and surrounding ourselves with people we care about. We build our own principles, create an authentic version of ourselves, and gain confidence in our individualism as we grow. That is, however, easier said than done.

The issue is we don’t want to wait it out and see what we can really become. We are in a hurry to map out our entire lives when we don’t really have to. We are a work in progress, we are masterpieces that take time and effort. Know that being patient and doing what is best for you is what helps you grow, take care of yourself.