"People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself," said psychiatrist Thomas Szasz. "But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates."
It's said that college is a time for growth; a new chapter of life where you are finally the author of your own destiny. It's the transition from having a shallow sense of self and independence, knowing little about the world and the obstacles that lie ahead, to the process of becoming an adult.
College is an environment that will immerse you in the joys of being on your own, and the challenges of understanding what that really means. The friendships and memories that you make here are said to last a lifetime, and many of you may go on to say it was the happiest, most liberating time of your lives. But as the laughter that orchestrates those memories fades, where will you find yourself? Years down the line, will you look back and be proud of how far you've come, and where you still seek to go?
I believe we are all the product of our actions. What speaks the most about a man is what he has achieved in his lifetime, and the manor he went about doing so in. Did he take as much as he could from every opportunity he was given? Was he always striving to better himself in the areas of which he was the weakest? Here at Longwood, we are given the resources and opportunities to become great at many things.
We become Lancers as teenagers, with scattered ideas about where we'd like to go and who we would like to be. When we graduate, we are still Lancers, but no longer are we the confused teenagers we were four years previous. We are teachers, nurses and writers; some of us will be on the road to graduate or medical school. We will be shaping the young minds of the world, saving lives and being a vital part of our communities. We will all have an impact and be remembered by those whose lives we have touched.
But some of us won't stop there. We all possess the potential for greatness, but it is completely up to us whether or not we'll strive for it. This begins with dreaming big dreams and having faith in your ability to do anything you set your mind to.
Most importantly, listen to your heart. It will act as your compass, leading you to where you should be. From my experience, you have to lose yourself to be able to begin to understand who you are. Such was my experience a little over a year ago.
Caught within a vicious undertow, it seemed as though every time I got my feet back on the ground, a wave of adversity would pull me back into a sea of my mistakes. After doing so many things wrong, I was all too familiar with failure. I carried the weight of regret on my shoulders and shrank away into isolation, believing no one could possibly understand the discord that was raging inside of me.
I began to take refuge in poetry and literature written by those who spoke of hardships comparable to my own. I was captivated by the works of Friedrich Nietzsche, who so vividly described the desolation which had overtaken my existence. His exceptional ability to divulge himself through his writings with unalterable precision and grace painted an intricate portrait of a man who could move mountains with the stroke of his pen.
I still recall the tears that swelled in my eyes as I discovered the power and infinite possibilities of written word. It seemed as soon the tip of my pen hit paper, strife and self-doubt melted away, and I was capable of anything. It's often said pictures can speak a thousand words, but with a thousand words I felt like I could change the world, and that's exactly what I want to do.
Passion is the fuel that drives us to exceed good, and become great. Every great mind, every revolutionary, every person who has changed the world has been passionate about what they do. Right now, we are provided an opportunity to seek out our purpose, our passion, so that we may begin creating ourselves into the people we aspire to be.
I'd like to believe that's what this whole college "experience" is about. So here I am, possibly being read by hundreds, possibly being read by no one. While the haunting thought that my words may always remain hollow to eyes that skim over them discourages me at times, I'm taking steps forward. I will paint the brightest future I can for myself, one story at a time. I encourage you to do the same.
