Friday, October 28, 2011

How Strong is Your Foundation?

By Dorothy J. Hill

How Strong is Your Foundation?

What do you believe in? What are some things that you firmly stand on? This can range from a few to many. Being one who tries to live life as more of a wholly identified person, I have to keep in mind at all times that everyone will not agree with you or see you as you see yourself. You may even have a few people who actually do see the whole and real you.

Considering many of us are pursuing a degree, we essentially have a lot on our plates. Some of us may be struggling to keep things in order and others may have things down to a science. Though there may be some who have things down to a science, you almost always have at least one area where you may fall short in. This is because you are just one person, either trying to figure out the hang of life as an adult or saturated in adulthood and have some fluidity.

Life is a lot to handle and you have to understand that there is a time for certain things to happen in your life. Many of these things really help you to grow in the end, believe it or not. Some us of have people we can “fall back” on while others may just have themselves to rely on. It really depends on a few different factors. For instance, maybe you’re an introvert or an extrovert. Some may enjoy attention and others may just live without trying to gain any unnecessary attention.

Some other things to consider are how you were brought up. Not everyone grows up in the “traditional” sense of a two-parent household. If you were like me, you may have grown up in a single-parent home, with just a mom, or dad or you may have grown up under the care of a grandparent, aunt or uncle. Then, there are others who may have been adopted in some other way. There are various things that have contributed to the decisions you make in life. This also has an effect on how strong or weak your foundation is.

In life, there are many challenges that we experience. These challenges will come through various avenues and you have to learn how to deal with what happens. Some of the challenges you experience may have been brought on by yourself or others. But too often people don’t want to take responsibility for their actions and blame other people for what they did wrong instead of seeing things as a whole. Challenges come in all aspects of life, whether personal, academic, financial or social. You have to be careful how you handle every situation that comes your way. Make sure to take what you have learned from your past shortcomings to make better choices in the future. No need for you to going around in circles.

I sometimes wonder how different things could be for me if I had or didn’t have certain things. Often I feel that there is a void that needs to be filled in some way because of the lack of some things I didn’t have as a child. Now this is not to say that I was not well taken care of in the least. My mother worked very hard to sustain and maintain a healthy life for me and my younger brother. But it is a difficult process to complete singularly. There were always others who I consider to be my extended family that lent a helping hand and provided guidance for me, but still, I wanted and longed for something else. As I grew older and my understanding of life grew deeper, I began to let certain things go. You cannot worry about the things you have no control over and can’t change. There is much truth behind “everything happens for a reason”.

I am a firm believer in God, and I’m definitely not here to push religion on you… That there is one of my pet peeves, but I digress. Since I believe in God, I believe that all that I go through in life happens to make me stronger and should be taken as a lesson to learn from. Of course you’re not going to like what happens, but that is not what life is about. You can’t have everything that you want or like; it is more about what you need to make things happen. I try to use myself as an example for others and provide advice or words of wisdom to avoid some of the situations I have encountered, because honestly, I have been in some really awesome and really terrible situations.

I have to say though that I am grateful for what I have experienced thus far in my short 22 years of living. If I could tell you all that I have been through, you would be awestruck (seriously), but I can’t reveal all my secrets to success, ya know? Between my personal life and my academic life, there are a lot of things that I hold on to as reference guides. I have a pretty strong foundation of my own as well as with others who surround me. I can confidently say that I am able to stand on my own two feet and have been able to for some time. You may feel a little fear once in a while, but don’t let that fear hold you back from reaching your goals. Face your fears, face yourself, and be honest with yourself. You know what you are capable of and no one can do anything to prevent you from getting where you need to be or getting what you want out of life. The biggest enemies and critics we have are ourselves.

There is a saying that I have heard quite often throughout my life and I’m almost certain that many of you may have also heard it, too… “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” These are some very strong words. Short and simple, your foundation will either be weak or strong, depending on what you have chosen to do. My foundation is firm and unbreakable. I no longer fear the outcomes of situations. I figure, whatever happens, happens and I will put forth my best effort for the most pleasant outcome.

If your foundation is a little shaky, try tightening it up. I promise you, things will become so much easier to handle. In the meantime, stay strong and true, it’s the best way to be.

Dorothy J. Hill is a senior from Chicago, IL. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. Dorothy is a Student Ambassador and currently serves as the Training Coordinator at Saint Xavier.

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