Relativity

Something I've been learning lately is relativity. When someone tells me that their course load is horrendous... I laugh on the inside because I've never not known a full 18 credit load semester, but the struggle is relative. The person who says their semester is horrendous could have difficult professors or not understand the material or just be really busy and not know how to manage a full schedule. Another person may say to me that although they aren't dating or looking to date anytime soon they are really successful in their off campus job or they are aggressively pursing internships. And yet another one of my friends could be happily engaged and planning a beautiful wedding and find themselves super successful based on that life checkpoint. Success is relative to the person who defines it, but don't define someone else's success or accomplishments based upon your own standards. It isn't fair to either party.

Everyone is running on their own path. Everyone defines success differently. Everyone defines difficult times differently. It's not up to one person to lay a blanket checkpoint over everyone's lives and say meet this ridiculous standard that I set before you that doesn't even fit where you're at in life. What is up to us is how to perceive people based on their definitions and not our own. I'm not babbling because I'm great at this. I'm not, but I would like to think that I'm learning and becoming more aware of what this means to me personally.

An accomplishment is still an accomplishment no matter when it happens-- still celebrate. Just because you're not dating, or engaged, or married doesn't mean that you aren't still valued and important. You are just as valued and just a relevant with or without a significant other. Just because you're not attending college or you are doesn't mean you're better off one way or the other. Be confident in the choices you make and the people who truly love you will support you regardless. The people who don't actually care for you will show their true colors. Let's celebrate the person instead analyzing what that person does and defining them by that. I am who I am and not who anyone else wants me to be.

Reread this until you believe it, because I know I will.