Tatum M.

If you’re reading this, pause and look how far you’ve come.

There is so much to life and it is so easy to slip into a mindset of only focusing on what is next. 

In high school and the first few months of college, I was very hard on myself. I was trapped in a mindset of always striving for the next achievement, big moment, or test grade. My mind was a hamster wheel, endlessly spiraling thinking of what I needed to be doing to prepare for college, an internship, or a summer job.

To be completely honest, I felt like a failure if I was not constantly working for what was next. I didn’t allow myself to rest enough to recharge or reflect on the person I had become.

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It took a long journey down this path for me to realize it was toxic and unhealthy to live in a “what’s next” mindset. This frame of mind led me to extreme busyness, stress, and the unnecessariness of doing things.

I am writing this letter to tell you what I wish I had realized earlier. 

Pause. Be still. Realize where you are today, and look how far you have come.

When I pushed myself to escape the “what’s next” mindset, I began to celebrate the small wins. I reflected on where I was a year ago, two years ago, or even a month ago. I grew grateful and proud of myself and ultimately became more encouraged and confident to conquer what lies next.

For freshmen, this time last year you probably didn't know where you were going to university. You were amid college applications, uncertainty, waiting, and rejection. Now, you are living in a dorm for the first time with a roommate you met on Instagram, attending your first college classes, exploring a new city, and making friends with the people on your floor. Look how far you have come.

For sophomores, you’ve made it through your first year, you have friends in organizations, you feel more secure on campus, and you are familiar with the city you were once scared to move to.

For upperclassmen, you have the friends you were nervous you’d never make in college, you passed the class you once thought was impossible, and you’ve made memories you’ll laugh about for many years ahead.

You are living in a moment that you once prayed about, cried about, or were nervous to face.

 I urge you to realize the beauty in the little wins, celebrate them, and look how far you’ve come.

Tatum M., Southern Methodist University

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