I've come to understand over the past few months that no matter how much we try, most things will never be completely over and forgotten. Certainly circumstances change, but the major experiences and people who played significant roles in your life will always be a part of who you are, no matter where you are, where they are, or what you are doing. The impact will not and should not be forgotten. For awhile I have been trying to think of an example that most "readers" [if I actually had any] would find relatable. Last night it came...Osama Bin Laden was killed. For Americans, 9/11 will always be remembered. The feelings and emotions felt on that day linger in our hearts and minds. While justice has prevailed, there is no doubt that 9/11 and Osama Bin Laden will be a part of us, as Americans, forever. Like this, there are so many things we wish we could take back; we wish certain events hadn't happened, or had happened; instances in which we wished we had acted differently; made more of an effort, made less of an effort; said more, done more; said less, done less; but where does all of that wishing and regret get us? Nowhere. But then, why are we where we are now? Because this is where we are supposed to be and what we are supposed to be doing, and that's just the way life is.
Throughout the last semester I've been jotting down ideas, goals, notes, random thoughts, advice given, advice received, lessons learned, reflections--you name it, I've probably written about it. One thing that most of these thoughts and tid-bits come back to is happiness. DO what makes you happy. BE with the ones who make you happy. Don't SETTLE for less than you deserve. REALIZE that you are happy. Happiness is not always found in achieving, winning...happiness is found in the journey. If you can't find happiness in the journey, you haven't reached your final destination yet. It's important to enjoy the process; it won't always be fun. Putting yourself out there, laying it all on the line, taking a leap of faith--that is what makes life what it is. It can be bitter. It can be sweet. It can be bittersweet, but in the end, when everything works out, be satisfied that it was all meant to be. Remember, sometimes your situation doesn't need to change, you just need to change how you perceive it.
