The most iconic 2005 movie, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, popped up on my Netflix account the other night and of course, I had to watch it and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. America Ferrera, Blake Lively, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel go shopping one day and find a pair of jeans that all magically fit them—a sign from above that all are connected and best friends forever yadda yadda. The moral of the story is friendship and having your close girl-friends around you in times of strife and despair. Whether or not this pair of denim really did anything, the bond was always there.
I don't think I can stress enough just how important having a support system of friends really is. All support systems look different and come in all different sizes. I realize that the friend making process is hard, in all aspects and times of life. For those going to college, it's going to be really hard at first to find your niche and that's okay. Same for people starting a new job, it can seem really hard to find people to relate to and confide in.
Personally, my friend groups are different all around. I have my close family friends, my best friends that I've known since I was very little, my school friends, my PRSSA friends, dog friends—it can be very overwhelming to know that there are a lot of people that know me and it can be tricky trying to keep up with it all. I'm definitely not trying to boast, but you kind of just meet people all over and it takes time to develop those trusted relationships.
You can go through a lot during your life and some very low points, as well. Recently, my mom has been diagnosed with stage one breast cancer, and while that is amazingly lucky news, it could have been worse. She is doing really well and will be going through treatment soon when I'm traveling abroad and within a couple of days we disclose the news to people, I realized just how much love there is around me.
We get so focused on our routines that we forget how much people there are around us who have our backs and would do anything for us. It's sad that sometimes we don't notice until times of dark, but I am so appreciative for the group of friends and family around me that allow me to confide in them.
Something I have noticed in myself is that I do things for other people without expecting them to owe me anything. You know, some people question why I'm fine buying like two of my friends Starbucks or what have you, but at the end of the day someone is going to do the same for me and that's just a trust I find in the people I care about. It's funny because I think my closest friends and I just don't talk about it and we have this telepathy that allows us to trust each other even if we live miles and miles away.
A bond just as magical as a universal pair of pants.
"Patience, young grasshopper," they say. As much as I can hear my dad saying it to me, waving his hand in front of my face to instil some kind of force, the word "patience" has a very negative connotation to it. When our moms and dads told us to "be patient" as kids, we saw it as a punishment. As a result, we obsessed more and sat in discomfort until we got what we wanted or needed. In all aspects of life, waiting is just one of those uncomfortable things we have to deal with. Whether it be waiting for a job offer, exam grade, interview results, etc., I constantly find areas in my life that require very strong acts of patience.
Waiting is hard, but waiting can be the most rewarding. Something as little as waiting for shoes to go on sale or waiting for a better job opportunity—proof in the pudding, waiting has shown to result in better outcomes. So, why do we insist on things happen here and now? Maybe because we think we're just entitled to everything, shouldn't have to wait, do the work, make the struggle, or who knows what. We like certainty and hate not knowing what the future holds.
For a while, I have been trying to figure out what I'm doing in college and what I want to do with my major. Especially with internships and the organizations that I am in, it seems that so suddenly all of the things I was hoping for have just kinda made their way to me and I am quite overwhelmed. I don't want to discredit the fact that I have worked very hard for these things, but it seems too real.
For one thing, I will be going to Europe in less than a month—a dream of mine I have had since I was seven. I'll be leading Her Campus next year, continuing my position on the board of DePaul PRSSA, joining the Bateman public relations campaign, possibly being a writing tutor, and interviewing for upcoming internship opportunities. Already, I am beginning to think that my waiting time has come and I need to make some well-judged and thought out decisions about what I really want to do.
I've also noticed that lately, I have worried so much about the future. Being proactive in goal making and being aware of the choices I make now will have an impact on where I end up is great, but stressing and obsessing over it has made me less present in the work I am doing right now and time just sighs at me. Like Natalie, take a deep breath and chill.
As much as I would love to say that my stress about the future will disappear—it won't. However, I have learned to cope with waiting and being patient; I am appreciating what I got now and putting in the work I'm passionate about, which has made me more so grounded.
You think now you are waiting for something bigger, better, higher, but I can tell you that what you have now is probably just as great. The joy is in the being. I think that honest work and passion prevail. What you do now with your time will be all worth it when you see just how far you come. With that, there are going to be great things ahead, so don't fear the unknown.
"Patience, young grasshopper,"- Master Po, Kung Fu
No one chooses to be uncomfortable, but more and more I am finding myself in uncomfortable positions in all aspects of life: in yoga, academically, socially, mentally, etc. Our comfort bubbles are what we are so used to being in that sometimes I feel like I need to be forced out of it. Transitioning to college was a huge uncomfortable phase and I'm sure there are more to come.
So, how do we tackle this discomfort? It could be from just an icky feeling in your gut or an overall sense of despair and fear. I still do yoga and am continuing this journey of discomfort in all of the poses I do and have done for the past five years. Today, my instructor taught us about embracing our fears—embracing this discomfort we are feeling and to let it go. Mind over matter.
I already know that this year and the upcoming school year will be very crucial times for me to get focused on my future. However, I'm taking up big leadership roles with a couple groups I'm in like Her Campus DePaul and PRSSA. I will be the president of Her Campus next year, and while I am very excited to be leading this amazing group of female writers, I'm already apprehensive about how much work I will be stressing over.
Sometimes the biggest things we want cause the most discomfort, more than you know. I guess worrying about it now doesn't do any good, but I'm always thinking a year ahead of everybody else. My life would be so much easier if I didn't care too much about things, so I brought this topic up because I'm sure I'm not alone.
It could also be my Leo/Virgo personality taking over, but I really think there has to be a time when we all just get comfortable being uncomfortable in all types of situations. I'll be going to Europe in a month (OMG) and literally have no idea what to expect. I know it will be great and I know I'm in a great group of people, but there are still a lot of things I don't know about where I'm headed.
In times like these, I think it's best to take a step back and just appreciate everything that's coming your way—good or bad. There's always a lesson to be learned and room to grow. Maybe you're headed to an interview, audition, getting a promotion, traveling, taking an exam, whatever it may be! I know that I got through it, so you can too. Enjoy it while it's good.
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