In recent weeks, I’ve found myself trapped in thoughts of the future. I’ve once again found myself constantly planning for the future, evaluating my goals, and determining the next steps. I do this because soon, very soon indeed, I will once again be back in the real world. A world with real consequences. A world where every choice matters.
That’s not to say that choices don’t matter here, but they certainly don’t matter as much. Here things are simple. I don’t need to plan for the future, because things just happen. But at home, the path I’ve chosen doesn’t just happen. It involves careful deliberation and careful planning. Every day matters. And one wrong decision could widely change everything I have worked so hard to achieve.
But from being in this place, I’ve noticed many changes to the considerations I’ve made while making plans for the future. I find myself thinking more and more about the people in my life, and how they are just as important to me as my goals for the future. You see, I’ve begun to realize that this path I’ve chosen doesn’t need to be a solemnly desolate one. I don’t need to march into the unknown alone. And, in fact, I can’t. Nobody can make it alone these days. And I don’t think anyone ever could. The people in my life here, and those I love back at home, are people I need to have alongside me if I’m ever going to reach that mountaintop of accomplishment that I seek. I’ve learned that the people around me aren’t a distraction from the goal, but are indeed a part of the goal itself. What is success without others to share and celebrate it with, after all?
So as I continue my hike to whatever new goals I make for myself, I won’t do it alone. Not anymore, at least.