And the Wisdom to Know the Difference

Lately I’ve been feeling overwhelmed. I have two internships, classes, and my interfaith fellowship. I’m passionate about all of these things, but as a graduating senior, finding time to put together applications, visit the career center and schedule interviews…I’m feeling the pressure. Over the weekend, I was starting to feel hopeless. There’s no way I can do all of this. Starting the week, I had to commit my mind to both accomplishing the tasks at hand and taking care of myself. I thought of one of my favorite prayers.

God grant me the courage to face the things that I can change…

I’ve made commitments. I’ve promised to apply to a range of jobs and learn as much as I can about my possible paths. I’m determined to put my best work forth both academically and professionally. I’ve also vowed not to let the stress impact the way I treat others. I wanted to spend more quality time with friends–I put my phone on silent and away when I’m with them. I wanted to show my parents that I appreciate their support–I call them just to talk, not only when something is wrong and I need help. I want to strengthen my relationship with God–I put everything aside on Sundays to devote my energy to prayer.

and to accept the things that I cannot…

Some things are out of my control. The job market is complicated, I may not get every interview I want. That’s ok. I have to get sleep, I may not finish every single reading for every class each week. That’s alright too. Sometimes, I won’t be able to get my walk in or I’ll cheat on my healthy eating habits. That’s going to happen. The important thing is to keep trying, and to follow the advice of my best friend: Forgive yourself.

and the wisdom to know the difference.

For me, this last line is what I like to call an “offering up.” Knowing the difference means striving to be the best version of yourself, but also taking some of that burden off and placing trust in God. It’s not quite “everything happens for the reason” or “whatever is meant to be will be,” but an acceptance that wherever you may find yourself, you have the power to make the best of that situation. Doing that on your own is tough, but I’ve found going through that with God can be a beautiful, albeit challenging experience.

In my new job I face a lot of situations I’ve never been in. It can be scary. At the end of the day I have to remind myself of a few aspects of my personal philosophy: Be proud when you overcome an obstacle. See struggles as an opportunity. Ask for help. You’re never going through life alone.

One Comment

yasin posted on July 20, 2023 at 9:35 am

In my opinion, people’s differences cause progress and regression. What do you think?

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