So we lie at the beginning of yet another academic year, with both fun, frivolity and the prospect of hard work lying in our sights. This coming year is a year of big decisions for many, deciding what they are going to do when they finish their studies and move on into the big wide world. And for others they can belay that decision for another year. But no matter the time untill you have to decide, its something that is important to consider. And the subsequent thought is always going to be how are you going to get there... What have you done that makes you look good? And what could you do?
Climbing a mountain could be something you have done.
But when considering the facts, its important to consider what matters to you, and what changed you. It is unfair on yourself and others to judge who you are and what you have done on other peoples scales. For example, some people may have made huge statements with their lives already, they may have travelled the world, may have solved problems that seemed unsermountable, and may have ovecome the trials and prejudices of a society. These are achievments in their own right, but you might not have had the opportunity to travel, or might have not had the correct opportunity to show your true potential. But instead there might have been something small that you have done that changed your life. It might have been volunteering for a few weeks at a hospital or home which completely changed your perspective on the world, or it might be a plain simple job that developed your ability to work.
The evolution of who you are...
For example, I myself may not have spent a huge amount of time socialising in the past, but minor victories in joining different societies and meeting in people in my own small way are a far greater victory for me personally than someone who might go out into the wider world and meet many people from different corners of the globe. You have to put your victoires in the context of yourself. By drawing on these minor leaps for yourself you can then plan and act more confidently in the future. One cannot run before they walk. And who is to limit what any one of us can achieve in the future. For all I can say, I could be the one meeting and greeting many people in the future. Its a great tradgedy to put yourself down on the context of someone else being apparently 'better' than you. But its an equal shame to squander the opportunities that are presented to you by the future.
If you have thought about what I have said then you might be remembering several of your own personal victoires. But we cannot dwell on the past, and as I said initially now is a time in our lives where we must be thinking about the road ahead. There are no rules on deciding what you want in the future. But, its good to start with one idea. Just one idea that you are prepared to take seriously and fight for every opportunity to go forward with. It dosen't matter where that idea falls. Its going to make a difference in wherever your life goes, another personal victory. But if you don't fight for something, no matter what it is, then other opportunities will pass you by. Your past will have no sparkle for you, no magic, no sense that you have achieved something, and this will make you lathargic for change.
Is this man taking all his available opportunities?
Most of us will have examples where we haven't done all that we could to take opportunities, I intended all last year to join a squash club, but yet I never got round to going. I intended to learn bass cleff to join a musical group. But no matter what we failed to do, its important that we do not feel guilty for not taking these options, we merely need to focus on what opportunities we could take, and which ones would come round again, and what we can learn from why we didn't take these opportunities. For example, I did become a scout leader, which limited my options, with respect to joining a music group. But next year I intend to try again. Its only by taking these opportunities I can live my life to the full.
More opportunities taken leads to more presented.
Over the next year some doors will be closed, it is almost inevitable. But you should still greab your idea, and fight for it, because even if Plan A fails, there will always be a Plan B that will benifit from your efforts in doing Plan A. And ultimately, it dosen't matter whether you end up as a checkout worker or the the president of the world, as long as you felt that you took the opportunities presented to you, and won your own little victoires.
