Nowadays, we tend to confuse success and happiness. We tend to assume that success means happiness, when in actuality, that doesn’t seem quite possible. How can someone be successful without being happy?
Maya Angelou defined success as “liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” I think she had it right. As a junior in college, it’s hit me that I will soon push myself into a career, or get pushed into one.
Anyone who has grown up in the United States and gone through school here knows how much we’re pushed to be good students. What exactly is a good student? The definition always seems to be changing depending on who you ask, but no matter what, it always seems like grades are matter the most. The older we get, the more it seems like good grades equate to success.
With finals being just around the corner, I think it’s important to remember that we should enjoy what we’re struggling for as students. Pick classes you’ll enjoy taking, even if they’re difficult. Choose a major that’ll push you into something you’ll enjoy waking up for, for the rest of your life. Don’t pick something you think will lead to your success as an adult. Pick something that you love so you can be happy. Going into college, we get told to not be afraid to explore. I feel that very few of us actually do that. Go explore and find something new to love. That’s what will make you do well now. Finding something you like just might make you feel a bit less miserable. It sounds cliché, I know, but it’s important to remember that while success may seem like the end goal, happiness is the way there. The rest will figure itself out.