Finding Yourself: A short word by a friend

By Daniela Garcia
Blog Content Contributor

*KTSW consists of and respects varying opinions within its staff. Opinion articles do not reflect the opinion of KTSW as a whole.

Are you finding yourself in a slump, occasionally catching a glimpse of yourself on the black computer screen that follows the end of yet another Netflix series then thinking, “What am I doing with my life?”

Do you precede to mindlessly pulling out your phone holding the power of the entire internet but subject to scrolling past Facebook posts that you frankly do not find any special interest in? Do you then lock your phone screen, slump onto your knees without emotion onto the floor and curl into a ball only to think about how much summer fun you should be having?

The truth is, you could be having fun but you must first see there is a world outside of your cozy bedroom with an endless supply of wifi and Dr. Pepper. See, perhaps you’re a bit sad because your significant other decided to call it off and every little thing you see reminds you of them. Or it could be that you wish you had a significant other to be reminded of. Or maybe, you’re just happily single but yearn for an adventure.

There is sun to bathe in, birds to hear, clouds to decipher, a moon to admire, or a novel waiting to be read sitting on a dusty shelf somewhere that will take you to another world through its pages. Of course, there are those of us who are graced with vehicles to go out and explore our surroundings by that luxury but there are ways! Simply stepping outside and taking a few zen moments of contemplation or even the absence of thought may cause you to feel positive energy that’ll relieve you of that built up Netflix binge-watching tension in your neck.
Wake up, stretch, drink a refreshing glass of water as you ponder what your most recent dream plot meant, write your wild dream down somewhere for future reference and make yourself a hearty breakfast. Why? Because you have a long day ahead of you my friend. This day will consist of allowing the wind to take you places and to meet people you wouldn’t have previously considered speaking to but who will perhaps make you smile.
Your day may not be a good one but you don’t know that yet. And when the bad thing happens, the only thing you can do that will actually make things better is looking up towards the sun (or the moon or even the glow in the dark stars you put up for comfort) and think about how you can use the bad experience as a reflection. But you have to understand, sometimes bad things happen to good people. Bad things happen to bad people and bad things just…happen.
This summer has kind of just begun and you’re already feeling as though you won’t get over your ex boyfriend/girlfriend, the passing of a loved one, the recent flood that took most of us by surprise, or that F from the previous semester you totally knew was coming but still desperately hoped would at least be a D.
It is okay. It is going to be okay..

The reason why we should only temporarily pause at our past is for present reflection and future achievement. Do not worry yourself with filling expectations you cannot seem to meet simply because it isn’t you. Do not trouble yourself over something of the past if you have the ability to change the future. Live in the present. Sing a little too loudly in your car. Dress up if you normally don’t and dress down if you normally make the extra effort to look fabulous. That argument you had with your roommate, best friend or significant other will wash over. Have patience. Inhale and exhale. Yearning for a picnic? Great! There should be no self-doubt in stopping by the store and stuffing a personal basket for yourself in honor of an individual feast by the river, under the swaying branches of a tree. Don’t worry about sharing the experience with your friends through a social media. Remember, you made it so far without any kind of phone!

If you have read this far and have not found yourself within this post, here you are now. There’s a coffee shop with an interesting barista, a friendly bar with some kind of special, a movie at the theater that suits your tastes, a book with a character you can relate to, a stranger with a warm smile that’ll respond with a ‘hello’ all waiting for you out there, somewhere that’s not here. Although, you can take me with you, I’d prefer you pick me up when you’ve found your adventure and you choose to come back for another time you may find yourself.

“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit