Dreams/Goals

If I could go back in time and tell myself at 18 anything, anything at all, it would be that short term goals drive your future, but long term goals and dreams hold you back. It isn't until you get to a certain age, or for some never, that you realize that to achieve something you need to have every step planned out like a chess game. If getting a degree is checkmate, you need to have prepared for as many possible scenarios as you can, and do your best to anticipate anything that might come your way. And remind yourself that goals can easily be brushed aside when the opportunity of something easier presents itself.

So much of my failures stem from living in a surreal dream state, longing for a life I'm not willing to work for, and just hoping that it'll somehow land in my lap. Life couldn't be any further from that mentality. Life and success are meticulous in a way that you can't fathom until you've done it. If you knew the amount of work that would go into a goal, you would most likely opt out of it. It's like running a race. You don't look at your watch every ten seconds, because it would drag on forever and you would start giving yourself options of quitting. Put your head down and move with purpose.

I would also tell myself not to rush anything, but especially not relationships. When you're young you can't help but rush into things, as you've only been an adult for a short period of time, you can't yet comprehend the scope of life and growth, so you compensate by trying to get everything important out of the way early. Sadly, it just doesn't work like that. And that's how people get hurt. Two young people, still in college, with the same heart-on-sleeve mentality pushing each other closer and closer to the brink of eternity. Too much pressure cause ANYTHING in this world to seize up.