If you are anything like me, most conversation starters, whether it be with family, friends or co-workers, tend to sound a little something like “So, what is next on your list?” or “Have you found a job for after graduation?” or “Why do you not have a plan in place?” Our society ,as a whole, puts extreme pressure on our generation to have everything figured out, to be financially stable and to be the example for the generations behind us. The truth of the matter is you are not supposed to have everything figured out.

This conclusion I have found as a senior in college has not been easy to land at. I have struggled, and I am not afraid, at this point in my life, to admit that. Regardless of my struggle, I have persevered, and I would like to share some things that I have learned through this time of struggle and confusion.

1. Tomorrow is something you have not touched yet. 

There have been so many days that I have felt I have wasted. Whether I wanted to catch up on sleep or just have a fun time with my friends, I have always felt guilty for time I could have spent more productively. Being a young twentysomething means that we are now in the realm of adulthood. Each of us are navigating how to live responsibly with our finances, our time and creating agendas for our journeys into the real world. These are not simple tasks and they hold major precedence over our still-developing minds. 

There are going to be days that your mind and body need a break. No one person is immune to bad days, even if they may look like they are carrying their weight well. In accepting that bad days are bound to happen, you are able to move forward without feeling guilty of the consequences. You have not touched tomorrow yet. The sun will set and rise again. Grab tomorrow by its harness and keep pushing forward. 

1. Experience pays.

If you are anything like me, a broke college kid, you have probably taken on some sort of part-time job. Juggling a job, school and social life is no small feat as a college student. Sometimes, when I take a step back, I feel the time I have spent working does not further me with my desired career. This mindset is something I have worked to reform since taking on my first part-time job when I was in high school.

Experience of any kind is what will help further you in your life. Whether that experience is an unpaid internship, a job that you took to help make ends meet or something you stumbled upon randomly, that experience helps in growing character and integrity as a person. I know as for me, my communication skills have flourished since becoming a server when I got to college. I also know that my job writing for this newspaper has challenged me and helped me grow my voice as a writer. I can move forward knowing that while this may be a pit stop on the way to my finish line, I would not change these years of growth, knowledge and patience for the world. Good things take time. Be patient. 

1. If you can be nothing else, be kind.

Growing up in a progressive society means that our generation has undergone significant changes. We grew up during the boom of social media and the spread of information. Communication has shifted from something done in person to something that can happen hidden behind a phone screen. Because of the lack of personability, society has forgotten, not completely or as a whole, how to treat people.

We are now thrown into a world where people are canceled for their mistakes rather than taught why they were a mistake to begin with. As well as, a world that has no mercy for people deemed “less than or different” —  that is selfish to its own aspirations and concerns rather than the concerns as a whole. This anger and lack of sensitivity, as for myself, has really damaged my view of people and their intentions. It is impossible to please everyone, and you are not immune to making mistakes or offending someone within your lifetime. What you can do is treat those around you the way you would like to be treated. Speak with a kind heart, and kindness is sure to follow you. 

I could go on and on explaining the things I have learned during my 21 years spent on this Earth, but we may be here for a while. At the end of the day, I do not have everything figured out. What I do know, and what I hope you are able to get from this article, is that you are ok. You will be ok. Be kind to yourself. Be patient with yourself. Know that every day can be a fresh start. Hold yourself with the utmost integrity. Above all, we, as twentysomethings, are going to flourish into a beautiful generation when it is our time to call the shots. It is our responsibility now to heal our minds and hearts in preparation for that day. 

I believe in you, and I will be cheering you on.