When you’re in college, it feels like everything you do is for the future. In most cases, it is. It’s necessary to think about the future because we want to look out for ourselves, but it’s easy to forget that we can’t have a future without the present.
Now, I’m not going to lecture you about the importance of being present — I’m positive you’ve heard it all before. But while it’s vital to remember that what we do in the present gives us more control over our future, there are times when fixating on this fact does more harm than good.
Although it is often more comfortable to be in control of your life, sometimes it’s better to let go.
Letting go isn’t always easy. We know ourselves. We know the way we work, our ambitions, our daydreams and our goals. The universe certainly doesn’t know us, so how can we relinquish control to it? What the heck even is the universe?
The universe is an ambiguous subject that seems to have no ends or beginnings and very few certainties about it. So why should you ever let an enigmatic unknown take the wheel?
Here’s the thing: there are some parts of life that you cannot control. That internship you’re waiting to hear back from or that test score you’re dying to see is out of your hands.
Personally, I struggle with this concept. And it wasn’t until recently that I truly began coming to terms with it.
Think of it this way: you’re here. Everything in your life has led you to this moment in time. No matter how grueling that project was or how unmotivated you have felt, you survived and you are here.
Those times when you didn’t get something you wanted but that rejection ultimately led you to something better? That was the universe. The stray dog you found on the street that became the best pet you could’ve asked for? That was the universe. The chemistry lab that you were dreading but somehow your lab partner became your best friend? That was the universe.
It works its magic in odd ways, but it leads us to how our lives are meant to be. When you think of it this way, it makes it easier to trust the universe with the things we have no control over.
This is an important skill to have in college because key decisions — especially in our careers — are out of our hands. When you can acknowledge that you’ve done what you can and toss the rest to the universe, it’ll save you a truckload of stress and probably add 15 years back to your life (I’m not exaggerating).
As you apply to jobs and internships, try to remember that you are doing your best and the rest will be out of your hands. The universe has your back!
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