What makes you come alive?

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” -Howard Thurman

Coming to college has made me realize two things. One; living with a bunch of girls and having to share a restroom with about 50 of them is horrible. No ifs, ands, ors, or buts about it. You can't change my mind. I cannot wait to have my own restroom next year in my apartment! The second, and more significant of the two realizations, is that you can't spend four years of your life studying something that you're not passionate about. I'm sure you can figure out how I came to the first realization, but let me explain the second.

When I started dating Bryson, he was in the process of changing from an engineering to a music major. He was so excited while signing up for his new classes and passionately talked about what he was working on all of the time. I, deep down, got jealous about his passion and the feeling only grew with time. Why couldn't I be that happy and passionate about my major? A red light went off in my head. I could.

I took some time to sit down and ask myself why I was in premedical. I guess I felt like it had always been expected of me because that was what would get me places in this economy. I was HATING my classes though. I hated looking at cells and had no interest in signing up for immunology or pathogenic bacteriology. Not only was I not enjoying my classes, but I wasn't getting good grades because of my lack of interest. It was then that I realized that life isn't about dying with the most money in your bank account. Life is about finding what makes you come alive and following that passion, so that you can make a difference in this world and help others live a more meaningful and just life as well.

With support from Bryson and my friends, I have since then switched my major to psychology (I'm still deciding what to minor in) and I am in pre-elementary education. I finally am just as excited as Bryson to sign up for my classes! Studying is so much more enjoyable knowing that I'm setting myself up for such a heart fulfilling future.

Now, instead of listening to Bryson practice piano while I moan through my biology notes, him and I are in my room while he is composing a new song and I'm studying developmental psychology of children. Things finally feel like they are falling into place! :]

Thank you Bryson for giving me the little push that I needed to find what makes me come alive.