Adulthood: Dreams Becoming Possibilities

I realized something new today.  As we start going to college we go through lots of big transitions.  The transitions of living with other people, living alone, living in a new place, experiencing new kinds of people, getting a taste of the real world without being under the shelter of our parents' wings.  But there's also another, bigger transition we go through.  When we change from being a child to being an adolescent or an adult, we not only experience aging but also a change of mindset.  As children, we live in the 'dream' mindset.  We fantasize about silly things, pretend that we are older, and dream about what we may become when we grow up.  A little further down the road, we start realizing our goals, and the dreams we had when we were younger start to get a little clearer.

But the real transition happens around the time we go to college.  As children we may have known what we 'wanted to be' when we grew up, but it was never really possible to actually achieve this dream.  But, as an adult, we are given the freedom to make our dreams a reality.  It is at this age that we realize what we will become, and we have so many options to make it happen.  Whether we want to get married and start a family, pursue a career to the fullest extent, make beautiful music, or change the world, all of the doors are opened to us.  When we become adults the world is at our fingertips and we are given the option of seizing it. 

The Social Unicorn

There's something I've learned from being at college.  You might say "well, that's why you're there, to learn, right?" Yes, that is true.  But I mean more on the social aspect than the book learning.  Honestly, getting used to the people at college has been the biggest adjustment for me.  Once I came here I was swept away by how many new kinds of people there were.  Everybody here is different.  I know this probably doesn't seem like news to anybody, but to me its very new.  There are so many different kinds of people, types of people I didn't even know could or would actually exist. They're like a social unicorn: I've heard about their existence, but before now it all seemed like a myth or something impossible. But now that I've met this social unicorn I am amazed.

Grounded in Friendship

Sometimes I feel like I'm not good enough. Not good enough for my own standards, mainly (I know I tend to be my own worst critic). But then I am reminded by my friends and those that I love that I am always enough for them. Even when I'm under the impression that I can't accomplish whatever task is before me, I can fall back on the realization that these are people who will never leave me if I fail. Their love and their friendship to me does not rely on how well I perform, the kinds of grades I get, or the way I carry myself through life's adversities. Their connection to me is not that superficial, but so much deeper.

So despite feeling inadequate at times, I can (and I hope others of you can relate) rest assured that I have at least accomplished one very important thing: finding wonderful people who see more potential in me than I sometimes see in myself.