Creating a passion for goodness: A 21 year olds guide to life
"21 seems young right?"
In the grand scheme of things, yes that is true. To me, 21 is just a child that can buy tobacco, alcohol, lottery tickets, and go to prison. Even though my back aches sometimes and I already am excited to have a glass of wine after a long day, I still crave adventures with my friends back home like racing down the bayou on our bikes, and playing catch in my high school parking lot for hours. Unlike my peers, I often feel like I am skipping ahead in life. I am about to graduate college and start my masters and get a real salary job. I have always listened to my friends dream of being adults in big cities, and getting married and starting families. This has always baffled me. I was a late bloomer in all aspects of life, and I learned to accept that at a very young age. I never felt like I had to catch up to the other kids, but I was always curious of the root of their anxieties. Was it their parents? Was it the T.V. shows they watched? I still question it but I no longer worry about it. I just listen and share my philosophy hoping they will learn something and grow their own opinions.
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| Saying goodbye to my best friends and summer 2019 at Chipotle. This was one of the hardest goodbyes I've ever had to do. We took advantage of the good lighting and set up a chair for a quality timer picture. (Photo: Chipotle Chair 2019) |
You are a free wild animal. Society is your leash and whip. You have the choice to pave your own path. My personal mantra is "The world is made of rainbows and sunshine". This came about during an attempt to cheer up a dear friend. I consider myself to be one of the luckiest people on earth. I am 21 years old, I am living, breathing, have shoes on my feet, clothes on my back and a roof above my head. Beyond the basics, I have an amazing supportive family, my friends are out of this world, and I love my job, I love my school, and I get to eat taco bell and hang out with my friends as often as I want. I have to admit to being a privileged kid with parents that support me with endless love and care, but it became the fuel for my journey of independence. As soon as I turned 16 I got a job and started saving my money for my future. Between band practice, work, school, and hanging out with my friends, I began to build myself and care about who I was becoming. I intentionally made choices everyday to surround myself with emotionally intelligent people that challenged me, and accepted me.
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| Dinner while backpacking on the Lone Star Trail. Intentionally choosing to rejuvenate in a healthy way. (Photo: Abby Draut) |
"Walk in the light of love" - John 1:5
Your duty as a human is to make the world a better place. Leave it better than you found it. By walking in the light of love you can almost guarantee that you will be surrounded by love. Build the world around you to be a happy place. There is joy in everything even if you have to find it. Contribute to the modern renaissance that is taking place right now.
"Be intentional about your choices" -Alex Honnold
Commit to kindness. Commit to happiness. Commit to goodness. Choose things that add value to your life, your future self will thank you. It's as simple as eating vegetables everyday with the intention of leading a healthy lifestyle. Being intentional about your choices will save you from headaches later. Ode to old you.
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| The best teammates I could ever ask for. BKC Lead Staff 2019. (Photo: Lara Patterson) |
"Never half-ass two things, whole-ass one thing"
-Ron Swanson
Hang up and hang out. I often take a distinct second place in my daily conversations while I compete for the attention of my peers over their phones. We are so lucky to share in the fruits of modern technology, but for the love of god, turn your notifications off and enjoy the moment. Let the moment breathe. Enjoy silence, and focus on what you are doing right here, right now. Aside from technology, just in conversations in general, let the moment breathe. Sometimes you have so much to offer in a conversation, but just let it go. Somethings are not worth mentioning at the expense of your conversation. Give everything 110% and be proud of the work you have done. Make it your own.
wow this is so inspiring. Kepp living girl! -Karen
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