Hello Beautiful People,

Patience… If I’m being honest, this is something I lack. I’m always expecting things to happen fast, no time wasted. When in reality, this is not realistic. I’m working on that though. I’ve always believed everything happens for a reason and it will all make sense at some point, but then the whole impatient thing gets in the way.

When something negative happens, I can sometimes react as if it’s the end of the world. Some of this roots from my anxiety, some of it roots from my ambition. Being ambitious and driven is great, but so is being patient. Too many times I get discouraged because something exciting and great isn’t happening right now. I always have an urge to be doing something big.

The past few months have been a roller coaster for me, in all honesty. I try to stay positive and patient but then I’m so easily knocked back to the trenches.

“Ugh, why can’t I shake this feeling!”

The answer is not only in patience but also in perspective. Yes, negative things have happened in my life lately but not everyday has been negative. Also, there are people out there who have it way worse than me. That doesn’t change how I feel, but it can at least change my perspective.

What’s My Point?

My point is that in life, the things we want will not occur over night. We too often look at successful people and think “they’re lucky, they reached success overnight”. When this is far from the truth. Successful people are the ones who have endured the ultimate struggles and challenges in life. They are the ones who have been patient with the process and actually enjoyed the process of growth.

These periods of negativity can get us down, but they also guide us to where we need to go. If life was always perfect and always happening, we would never appreciate the successes. Patience is what teaches us appreciation for not only the successful moments but also the rough moments. The ones that got us to where we are today.

As a college student in my final year, there is more pressure to figure my life out RIGHT NOW than ever before. Yes, I should get an idea of where and who I want to be, but I shouldn’t put so much pressure on myself that it ruins present moments.

I think this is something a lot of college students experience at this time, especially close to the holidays. We all want to be able to tell Aunt Sally about the all jobs we have lined up and the person we are going to marry, but it’s just not realistic. We need patience.

I need patience. I need to calm the F down and realize everything will work out. Although I say I believe “everything happens for a reason”, I still lack patience sometimes.

I may sound like a hypocrite, and you may be wondering why you’re even listening to me. But, here is why:

I get it. I’m in it. I know you’ve been there too! We all get impatient with life from time to time. We want our dream job now, we want to travel now, we want everything NOW. Perhaps this what our generation has come to; we’ve become use to the fact that we can access people and information at any given time. While this is all true, we must stop to realize that life doesn’t work like the internet.

Our dream jobs won’t happen for 10+ years probably, and our travels will be unknown, not planned. If you’re able to achieve any of these goals quickly, good for you. If not, you’re not doing something wrong. Life moves at different paces for everyone. The successes of others do not have to dampen yours, in fact they do not dampen yours at all. Your success is up to you; it’s about the hard work and patience you put in to achieve it.

Back to why you are listening to me, I am seeing this first hand. I see it in myself and I see it in the students I’m around everyday. We all think we have to have it figured out right now. We don’t. Life is short, but it’s also so long. It will go by fast but doors will continue to open for you along the way. Don’t let fear of timing ruin your dreams.

I write this today because I have felt so much anxiety and pressure to have it all figured out this semester, so much so that I have depleted my own creativity and goals. I have seen the stress that impatience has caused me. After meeting new friends and listening to everyones story, I am learning I am not alone in my struggle. I’m learning that no one has it together, not even the professionals.

This worry and fear has only prohibited me from achieving my full happy-self. It’s impacted my health and my sleep patterns. We are energized by our passions. Don’t let stress be the thing to kill that energy. Healthy stress is good, it propels us towards our goals. Anxious, worry stress is not. It ruins our goals.

Stay focused, remain patient and enjoy the process. Do things that make you happy. Spend time with those who lift you up. Network with new people because you want to not because you feel like you have to. Step out of your comfort zone. Visit new cities and explore new talents. Dare I say, experience struggle. These are the things that will teach you patience and strength.

These skills will make you most successful, not more school work or another internship. If you can passionately express your experiences and true self to an employer that will be more beneficial. If you live your life shamelessly and authentically, then you will find peace and happiness. The destination you desire is amazing, but the process is the fun part.

Thank you for reading PYM today. I have started a monthly newsletter from Pretty, Young & Motivated, you can subscribe by sharing your email in the box on the right of the page. This newsletter will contain a round up of monthly posts, blog announcements, positive quotes, books and blogs to read, and more! Lastly, I am working on a huge fashion post, so stay tuned for that.

xo, Lyss