By Gabby Giesler
One of my favorite books I’ve read recently is “Girl, Wash Your Face” by Rachel Hollis. She talks a lot about who she is, where she came from, and how she used the circumstances in her life to propel her forward. We all need to reflect on how far we’ve come despite the challenges we’ve faced and give ourselves more credit along the way. I’ve learned so much the past three years on how to relentlessly pursue my goals and to not let the challenges in my life stop me from getting to where I want to be. We all want to graduate, work passionately and ultimately live a happy life – one we are proud of. Each day we are working towards those goals, and often there are setbacks. When something bad happens, it’s not an excuse to hit pause on your dreams.
The taste of rejection and hearing the word “no” often makes us question our worth and ability to succeed. When that happens though, it’s comparable to when you’re using the Maps app and you accidentally miss a turn. You’re going to get rerouted and you’ll still get to where you need to be. A missed turn isn’t going to crash your car; a setback isn’t going to ruin your life.
It’s our responsibility to manage up, know we are capable, and use that capability to pursue our passions. Everything I’ve accomplished in my life so far is because I didn’t let the hard parts and setbacks mess with my goals and dreams for my future. I refuse to allow my hardships to affect my passions, and I continue to push forward to live a life I am truly proud of. It’s not always easy to be strong and driven, but when I look back in 50 years, I’ll be grateful that I kept going. Someday when I am living my dream, all of the hard days now will totally be worth it.
“Your dream is worth fighting for, and while you’re not in control of what life throws at you, you are in control of the fight.” - Rachel Hollis