Education. In all its forms.

If I listed out every unique situation that the last two years have thrown at me, I could write for hours. It seems as though I have been put in situations that range every length of the spectrum, from having to sit alone for 40 hours at work, to having to give a presentation in front of a hundred people. There is no limit as to the experiences that college provides.

Here's the catch. With every experience you have, you are unlikely to enjoy every one. This isn't because you have a bad attitude, it's just because we are all wired differently and enjoy certain things, while others make us cringe. But regardless, what we all have in common is that we will have to do a whole lot of both over the course of our life.

All that to say, life is beautiful. At times I felt like I was wasting my time and couldn't help but wonder "what am I doing?" Turns out, I was learning. Just not the way that I thought I was. While taking Finance I got so bogged down in what felt like a waste of my time and the idea that I could be doing something better. Turns out, I was simply learning a greater lesson... I don't want to work in Finance. Think about that. The most simple concept, completely overlooked. With each situation we are dealt, we are given a chance to learn more about ourselves and how our Lord created us. We can say, yep, never doing that again. Or, a passion can be ignited in the deepest part of our soul that spurs us on to dream big and achieve our goals. One or the other will happen, and both are beautiful in their own way.

Alas, the only way to figure these things out, is to participate in life. This is one of my favorite words... participate. For those of you who have read Perks of Being a Wallflower, you will know the reference. For those who haven't, I can't really recommend it {mature content}, but it is chalked full of beautiful writing that digs deep down into your heart with words like this. Participate.

What does that look like? Wake up and take a few minutes to breath and get organized, and put yourself in a good mood. I know it's not always that easy, but a lot of times it is. Smile, count your blessings, say hi to people, help someone carry their books, whatever it takes- be happy. Spend time in prayer and reading the Bible and I promise that the joy of the Lord will overwhelm you. Then, be where you are. Seriously. When you're in class, pay attention. Crazy, right? I can't even believe how many people I see mindlessly playing games during class... you realize you're paying for this, right? The knowledge we're receiving is some of the best in the world; people are literally killing for what we have. When you're with friends, really be with them and learn what's going on in their hearts and lives. When you're in chapel/church, worship and listen to the message. You get the idea. Participate. Learn everything that there is to learn and don't stop. There is more knowledge in the world than we could ever fully know, and it's begging to be picked up, dusted off, and absorbed.

The Lord our God created this Earth and all that is in it. I know I for one don't want to waste a day aimlessly going about routine, bored, and living a life with no passion.

I want to get out there and continue to figure out what I do and don't like. I want to know what I succeed at, and what I fail at. I want to know what brings me joy and what I never want to do again.

So get out there and learn. Learn all that you can. Learn who you were made to be. And then live it.