The month before I graduated college, I had no plans. To be honest, I don’t think it had hit me that I would soon be leaving and have to manage my own future. Within that month, a lot changed – job opportunities arose and I began #adulting. Now, it has been approximately eight months since I graduated from college, and seven since I began working a full-time job. College feels like an eternity ago in my mind, despite knowing that it was less than a year ago I was living with some of my closest friends. Below I have written out the lessons I’ve learned, both from graduating and the unforeseen accident of falling out of a tractor.
Don’t go through life, grow through life.
– Eric Butterworth
1.Big life changes mean big emotions.
Almost everyone experiences strong emotions when their lifestyle changes in a drastic way. For myself, this occurred several months after I graduated – when all the excitement of completing school had dissipated and it no longer was summer – I began experiencing phases of confusion, loneliness and sadness. While many of my friends continued their education, or began work programs to do service or volunteer, I was the only one working full time in the area. I would feel overwhelmed at random times for no reason at all. Interestingly though, most of my friends also began experiencing similar emotions around the same time I was having random moments of sadness or loneliness. We all agreed that the waves of emotion were a result of the fact that we had just experienced a major life change, whether it was college ending or watching people move on with their lives.
2. Always make sure to close every door securely.
While this piece of advice sounds metaphorical and possibly deep, it is literal. About a week after I graduated from college, I fell out of a tractor while helping my father farm when going over a steep incline. I lost my phone and injured my right shoulder. And, due to several circumstances, I ended up not seeing a doctor and had a dislocated should for an extended period of time before putting it back in place by myself (Google is an amazing resource). While no one who interacts with me can tell I was injured, I now have a constant pain on my right side. If the door of the tractor had been securely closed, the injury could have been avoided. Henceforth, I double check all my doors after closing them.
3. Have faith that everything will work out.
Whether this means seeking spiritual guidance, or maintaining a positive outlook, being confident and assured in life is super beneficial when facing unexpected challenges, creating plans or taking action. After I fell out of the tractor and lost my phone, I was distraught not only because my shoulder was in pain, but also because all the photos I had taken while studying abroad were lost. However, I decided to believe that it all would be sorted out, and one day I would find my phone. While this sounds ridiculous, especially because my phone was buried in several tons of silage, I did find my phone eight months later and was able to retrieve my images from its memory card. Having faith that falling out of the tractor would not hinder my ability to enjoy my memories helped me to focus on other aspects of my life.
4. Be grateful.
I know that for the first several months after I graduated I struggled with to be thankful. Not for graduating, or the support of my family, but for moving into the next stages of life. College was an amazing experience, which made it hard to move on from, but it’s only a stepping stone for greater things to come. Now, I try to be thankful for everything – the people who supported me throughout college, the job I have, and every other opportunity that comes my way, whether I take it or not.
5. Write down to-do lists and goals!
I know during my last semester of college, I had the mentality that I was not going to write down any of my assignments, meeting times or any other possibly important information. I believed if I was meant to do anything, then I would instinctively remember it. While this is insane, it worked for me my last four months of college. However, now I recognize writing down tasks is great for decreasing stress and checking them off creates a feeling of accomplishment. Writing down long-term goals also helps me create a trajectory for the steps I need to take on a regular basis to accomplish them.
While there is still a lot more to learn in life, these are just some of the major lessons I plan to keep in mind and implement moving forward. Whether it is taking time to analyze emotions, or double checking a latch on a door, I am sure that taking these steps will personally benefit me in the future.
Chasing serendipity 