Graduation day is to be a joyous memorable occasion in any students life. Because it's finally over. Joyless, I sat in my cap and gown wondering, is this it? I had no clue what I was going to do next since plan A, B, C and D were not working out with no job prospects in site. I held my degree and smiled for the camera but inside this new grad had lost her confidence with no clue what was to come next in her life.
Fast forward almost eleven years, and now I am sharing my story to help guide and mentor other youth. At a moment in my life where I felt like a failure I realized there was purpose in my struggles. Life will bring unexpected curve balls. Even though you swing and get a strike, it doesn’t mean you are going to lose the game.
Many students are worried about what is going to happen next in their life. Will they graduate in time? Will they pass the class they need? Will they get into grad school? Students have stress and worries just like any adult. But for some, with so much unexpected change, it can be hard to see what awaits on the other side. It can be hard for them to stay motivated despite the challenges they face. Regardless of what challenges we face today and in the future, always remember that what you are experiencing now is going to prepare you for tomorrow.
Life does not always make sense. As Frederick Douglass once said,
“If there is no struggle there is no progress”.
Making any kind of transition in life is progress. During that transition expect failure and fear. As much as we always want to hear the happy stories in life our stories of fear and failure have value and influence our success. These are the stories we need to share more with one another, especially our youth.
Many of our youth are facing walls and challenges in their lives that they're not sure how to navigate. The wall of fear will always stand before something great that is meant to happen. In order to discover what is on the other side of that wall we must be willing to be vulnerable and fail. I did not always understand my transition and progress but it has helped to define and transform me into the person I am today. I had to fail to discover my purpose and passion in life – to learn how to help others excel in their life.
Where ever you are on your journey, know that you are not alone. The challenges of today are helping to prepare you for tomorrow. Do not give up or stop going. Keep pushing through because you will get to the other side. There are #NoLearningLimits to what you can achieve.