Nothing is Ever Truly Stagnant
What direction are you running in?
It’s a bit surreal to realize that while I may still be enrolled in one last class and won’t receive my degree in the mail until June, I am essentially finished with my undergraduate degree. This comes after five years of (almost nonstop) study and growth, both on campus and online. I could recount the many classes I took, the amazing professors I met, and the life lessons that I’ve written into my journal pages over that time period, but instead I’d like to share with you one reflection that struck me as I walked across the stage last Friday in my cap and gown. The thought is this: nothing is ever truly stagnant.
Life moves forward in seasons and cycles. There are natural systems at work, pulling the planets and the stars forward in time. Days and nights roll on whether we are prepared for them or not. And in the midst of these hours that seem to fly by faster and faster the older I get, I have noticed that people seem to lead their lives in one of three directions:
We are running toward something—a goal, a dream, a deadline, a challenge.
We are running away from something—a fear, a person, an expectation.
We are not running at all, but rather slipping down the side of the path. We are making no effort to change, grow, avoid, delay—we’re simply letting time slip past.
Regardless of the direction we’re moving, we are in fact always moving. Each day we are either closer to or further from our goals; no one really plateaus. You and I will surely experience rollercoaster days of surging skyward or falling far, but even on the slower days we aren’t at a complete standstill. Each day makes a difference. Each day presents a new opportunity to alter our course, adjust our trajectory, step closer to our goals, and progress toward something better.
It may not have felt like it at the time, but every single homework assignment got me one paper or project closer to a degree. Walking onto campus as a freshman in 2018 felt daunting and intimidating, with a whole program ahead of me and not much experience to go on. I didn’t entirely believe I had the capacity to finish, but I knew I had enough at least to start. One paper, one project, one test at a time, I slowly chipped away.
“The quality of your life is built on the quality of your decisions.”
—Wesam Fawzi
I am so grateful I chose to invest my time, money, and energy into the daily tasks that have culminated in this degree—and I’m forever thankful for the hundreds of people who helped me get there. It was through the support and inspiration of those around me that I made the daily decisions I did, and I will never forget what their encouragement did to buoy me up on the hardest days.
I am choosing to run toward something. I’m in it for the long haul, the endurance, the distance, the marathon. Life is too short for me to waste it running away from the uncomfortable things, and too precious to let a day slip by without making some sort of effort to live it to the fullest.
What direction are you running in?
