When I graduated high school three years ago, I had to write a paper regarding something that I had learned in those four years. It took me a week to find something to write about but I landed on the topic of clichés. The reason clichés are, well, clichés is because they have been proven right time and time again, and they are something that will always be constant. I was reflecting back on that moment, thinking about how I still find beauty in clichés. There has been an evolution of sorts on the clichés I lean towards now though. While in high school, I leaned towards clichés that related to being my truest self, today I lean towards different kinds of clichés.
The clichés that have become the most important to me through my college life are the ones regarding responsibility. You are in control of your actions. You have nobody else to blame but yourself. This cliché is rooted in being responsible. While there are elements in life out of our control, the majority of lives are in our power. You can still control how you react to certain situations and your own actions will define their outcome. This was a particularly hard thing for me to learn, but through my experiences in college, I have begun to embody these sayings. Whether it be by taking responsibility for my own actions, rather than blaming those around me, or recognizing that my life is in my hands and if I want to do something with it, then I must be the one to take control.
Growing up I believed I had little control of my life. This was, in a way, a blessing, as I had no responsibility and my mistakes were not a result of my own actions. If I made a mistake, it would not be solely my mistake but it would be a burden on my parents. I could just respond with a simple, “My mom made me late, I’m sorry but I could not do anything about it.” But as I started to grow up, the burden of responsibility grew exponentially with me. I had to learn quickly that I am the author of my own life. My mistakes were now my own, but once I learned this, I became more self-reliant. This epiphany led to me growing as an individual and was crucial in the development of the person I am today.
Do not disregard the sayings and wisdom of the people before you. This may just come in the form of clichés. The beauty of a cliché is that it is applicable to everyone and each individual can mold them in a way that is perfect for them. I highly recommend finding a cliché that you can lean on. While clichés may get a bad rap of being basic, you have the ability to morph it into something that works uniquely for you. And when you do that, it becomes anything but basic.