Face it. You cannot do it all, but that is okay.
Every year college students spend weeks trying to settle into a rhythm of effectively balancing school, work, club and a social life. From my experience, the feeling of chaos and disorganization can last anywhere from two weeks to two months.
It is easy to think only freshmen would find this struggle unending and overwhelming. However, here I am, eight weeks into my junior year of college, and I am just now figuring out how to fit some sort of sleep into my class and work schedule.
We live in a success-driven, do-it-all and do-it-yourself world, which likes to tell us we have to do everything, and we have to do all of it perfectly. It is a world driven by social media trends, fitness fads and other exhausting standards we are encouraged to strive for.
We fill every second of our lives with sports, school assignments and work. Do not get me wrong, none of these things are bad. In fact, they are wonderful parts of life, which make us well-rounded individuals, who are adequately equipped to contribute incredible things to society.
However, when was the last time you stopped? Really stopped. When was the last time you took a deep breath, cleared your mind and refocused your priorities? Where is God in the midst of the chaos in your life?
It is easy to overlook the fact these worldly standards also force us to stretch ourselves too thin and overcommit our time, leaving us exhausted and burned out.
Maybe you take time each day to realign your thinking, and your relationship with God is at the forefront of everything you do. That is amazing, and do not ever let go of that, but I know I struggle daily to remember the truly important things.
I had to ask myself: Why do I want to be successful? Why do I want to please everyone around me? Why do I feel exhausted?
I had to face it; I cannot do it all — not on my own at least.
First of all, God is in control. We cannot mess up His plan, so quit putting all the responsibility to keep things running smoothly on your own shoulders. Allow yourself to rely on others. It can be difficult to be vulnerable, but ultimately we are all humans who just want to support and build each other up.
I encourage you — in the midst of your hectic schedule, halfway through the semester — please get your homework done, please prepare for your classes. However, after you have prepared, do not forget to pause, take some time for yourself, dedicate time to God and reach out to your friends and family. It is okay to take care of yourself, but allow others to take care of you too.
Do not let your goals, successes or failures define you. Be a helper, or a leader, or an encourager or a peacemaker, but do not lose yourself or your values in the process.
0
0
Be First to Comment