An T.
Photography by Nia Jones
If you’re reading this, have courage, be present, and love wholeheartedly.
Growing up, I was often afraid of judgment and exclusion. But my greatest fear that triumphs the overbearing phobia of side glances and rejection, was living a life that was bare of relationships, learning, and passion, so you can see how these two things contradict one another.
If you knew me, you might know that I am not particularly quiet, nor ever really sitting still. My coworkers tend to think I’m the equivalent of the “energizer bunny”, and I laugh and yap quite a bit, even on night shifts,
on the ambulance at 3am, when the average person is asleep, and my partner probably wants to take a nap, but they are instead forced to listen to me babble.
I wasn’t always a gregarious person, though. I was pretty closed off and often kept all of my thoughts and opinions to myself. However, it wasn’t until I started opening up and learning to become comfortable with vulnerability, that all of the opportunities, relationships, and experiences I could’ve ever asked for came knocking.
I became an EMT and saved the lives of so many who weren’t able to advocate for themselves. I applied to be the president of an organization at VCU and received the honor to serve that position. I traveled to a third-world country to offer healthcare and education alongside nationwide students I did not know. I met so many wonderful people and had the chance to know them, and to love them over the past few years. I did a lot of things that I wasn’t comfortable with, and if you told me this five years ago, I would not believe you. I probably never would have done a lot of these things that were wildly out of my comfort zone had I not taken leaps of faith and challenged myself to broader horizons.
So, I am here to tell you to stop playing it small because time doesn’t stop when you want it to. There is not enough time to dwell on judgment. You don’t have to be loud or anything; just be open minded, stay present, and be passionate about your interests. You won’t get these
years back, so go into every experience with love, and greet people with kindness and light, even when you aren’t met with kindness. At the end of the day, if people don’t reciprocate, you can always walk away knowing that you approached them with an open heart and an open mind, and there is so much bravery and so much resilience to commend for loving wholeheartedly and showing vulnerability because truthfully, the world needs more acceptance and selflessness.
Last, but not least, as a side note, while you’re out there learning to welcome new experiences and new people, don’t forget to give yourself the same appreciation and grace. Make sure you pour love into
your own cup, and be nice to yourself because some leaps are going to be more challenging than others, but trust me, you are so much more capable than you think. Don’t forget how far you’ve come, and have a little faith in yourself! This is something I continue to work on every day.
If you’re reading this, I am rooting for you ♡
An T., Virginia Commonwealth University
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