Dear Young College Queen,
College is a lot, but you’ve done beautifully thus far! Hold your crown high and keep showing them the confident, motivated queen that you are. Continue to stand tall and carry the load with grace. Believe it or not, there are those who are looking up to you, longing to be in your place. As a useful tip, don’t overwhelm yourself by carrying the load alone. Instead, place it all under your feet and use it as a stepping-stone. You’re on an uphill journey and the only way to the top is to climb. Keep pushing forward, lace up your shoes, and walk into your prime!
Step 1: Believe in yourself and your capabilities. Believing in yourself is similar to the shoe brand Adidas. Muhammad Ali once said “Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they have been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact, it’s an opinion”. Adidas used the quote to devise their former slogan “Impossible is nothing”. The slogan backwards, however, reads “Nothing is impossible”, which is the case when you truly vouch for yourself.
Step 2: Extinguish all flames, or bad blood, that you have with anyone and build connections with those around your campus community. In 1987, Nike released the air max shoe which uses a large air cushioning unit at the heel. The particular shoe uses the slogan “a difference you can feel in your sole” In life, we have to learn to let go of relationships that bring us down and fuel those that will build us up, both personally and professionally. Networking is a big component of college because a lot of times, it’s not so much of what you know, but who you know. Interestingly, the next person you meet could be the very one to offer you career guidance, industry insight, or an internship opportunity. The connections that you establish in college are likely to result in rewarding post-grad opportunities.
Step 3: accept yourself. This relates to Reebok because the company uses the slogan “I am what I am”. Accept your flaws and be yourself. Nobody can compare to the woman in the mirror. Being yourself has a wide range of possibilities because you are the author. You have the power to delete some, change some, or rewrite your story.
Step 4: Close doors of the past. Letting go of the past is like Fila’s slogan “Power style” because it drives opportunities for the future. Sometimes we have troublesome situations that linger in our minds. However, holding on to the past can sometimes be the one thing that blocks our next opportunity. Past experiences should only be used for memories, lessons learned, and a guide for the future. Always look forward because what’s in store for you will never lie in the past.
Step 5: Evaluate your involvement in your campus community. Evaluating your involvement is similar to Timberland’s slogan “Don’t wear it, use it”. In other words, we must walk the walk like we talk the talk. Don’t just talk about being involved, but actually make your mark on your campus. Attend events, join organizations, apply for leadership positions, participate in sports. The choice is yours but make your impact meaningful. A wise man once said, “Life is designed to knock you down. It will knock you down time and time again, but it doesn’t matter how many times you fall – it matters how many times you get back up”. College is a challenge but hang in there and don’t give up. Lace-up your shoes and walk into your prime! Remember to believe in yourself, extinguish all flames, accept yourself, close doors of the past, and evaluate your involvement. Lace-up your Adidas, Nike Air Max, Reebok, Filas, and Timberlands and keep running the race to get your degree!
– XOXO