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When Life Doesn’t Go Right, Go Left

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Montclair chapter.

It’s easy to lose yourself in the midst of a busy life. From your school life to work life and beyond, when one thing goes wrong you might feel as if your entire routine is thrown off. Despite all the bad, there is a lot of good in our lives and all it takes is a moment or two to sit back and see that.

 

Priorities Change

It happens with time. This past semester I’ve been exposed to new people, ideas and dreams. I feel as if all these experiences help shape your perspective and open your eyes to the world out there. You live and learn and find that you might not feel the same way about the things you were passionate about at one point in your life. Change happens. And even as time does pass and you do grow, the things that fundamentally make you who you are do not.

You are made up of all the events you have lived through, the people you surround yourself with and every dream you’ve ever had.

Be stubborn about your goals. No matter how many times you get knocked down, find a way to turn the situation around. It’s important to embrace change and to be honest with yourself in order to really come home to the person you were meant to be.

 

It’s Okay Not Knowing

One of the more significant lessons I’ve learned is that it’s okay to not know. You don’t need to have everything under control all the time. All you can really do is hope for the best and go for what you want. Even if things don’t turn out the way you wanted, make the most of what life throws at you. Maybe your success is determined by how you pick up the pieces and create something bigger and better out of it. That’s what makes life so unique. You could have a goal, you might even achieve it, but it’s really about the journey to getting to where you want to be.  You see yourself go through struggles and breakdowns all to succeed and find what makes life worth living.

With all that said, I would never have thought my life would lead me to where I am today. This first semester of Freshman year has taught me so much in so little time. I can definitely say that it has not been easy. I have had my fair share exhausting days when all I want to do is go home and sleep. However, I don’t think I would want my life to have turned out any other way than it has so far. I am grateful for all the wisdom I’ve been given from my friends, new and old. And looking back, I can’t help but smile at all the good that has come out of the past school year.

 

My Wish for You…

is that no matter how many times you might find yourself lost in life, you know that you are still here. You are living, breathing and have gotten through enough that you know you can make it through whatever life has in store for you. Life is unexpected. Messy at times, but a beautiful mess. These disappointing moments that you come across every now and again just make the good times more memorable. Value the people in your life and never miss out on an opportunity to let the people you care about know that you do. Value yourself for everything you have to offer to the world because you are loved. You are capable of achieving whatever dream you work for.

The world can be a dark and scary place, so lead with light in your heart. Every day is always your chance to start over, reach higher and be better. Remember why you started and remember that wherever life takes you, you were put in this situation because you are strong enough to conquer it.

Allie Manalili is a freshman at Montclair State University. In the pursuit of spreading her love of all things art, Allie is majoring in Visual Arts with a concentration in School and Community settings. When she's not on campus, you can almost always find her arms full with a stack of books at the local bookstore, scouting out a new brunch place, or even adventuring to new heights on a hike. Along with being a Contributing Writer for Her Campus Montclair, she is also an Admissions Ambassador, and is excited to see where the next four years take her.
Sarah Vazquez is a senior at Montclair State University, majoring in English and minoring in Journalism. She is the current Editor-in-Chief and a Co-Campus Correspondent at Her Campus Montclair. She is an avid concert-goer, podcast junkie, X-Files fanatic and someone who always has her nose buried deep inside a book.