Seasons are changing
[listening to: Ólafur Arnalds - Þú Ert Sólin]
[drinking: afternoon coffee]
[eating: slice of toast]
My absence last week was because I was in transit back to university. We left at 6 in the morning, and arrived shortly after 5 that evening. Was a pretty good drive, and I drove with Jonathan too, who’s a new friend I predict will become one my closest (although, having gone to high-school with him for 5 years, it’s surprising we only “met” at university).
Anyway, not much of an excuse, I admit, but I was exhausted for the rest of the night, and consolidating my week of uni vacation would’ve been rather mushy, emotional, full of stories of sunset-wine pairings, a couple really good family scrabble nights, and some of the best times I’ve had with my friends back home. So yeah, there’s the summary. Honestly no faults. I needed the break.
And, as it seems to be the case every time I come back from holiday nowadays, I hit the ground running this week. But I mean WOW. I had some work to finish over vac anyway, and it kind of still feels like 3rd term because of it...? I don’t know, it’s most bizarre, but I definitely had to re-tune my routine instantaneously.
That said, this term will be exciting.
My new push to revisit the positive self-insight I had last year turns me away from all this stress and whatever else that happened this week. Aside from that - because we manage, things will be OK - judging by this week alone, I’m genuinely looking ahead with a spark of exhilaration.
I think this is really important, because outlook and expectation do a lot for what actually happens in one’s life. Call it self-efficacy or “The Law of Attraction,” it doesn’t really matter. But it is a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy at the end of the day.
I’m not just looking ahead with positive feelings for thinking that that is the only way I will achieve positive things, either, though. Rather, there are two inevitable experiences: I will encounter difficulty, possibly greater than I have faced before, and I will also encounter elation, possibly the greatest I have ever felt. Between those two, we have the choice of which to feed our energy into, and by choosing the latter we preemptively chip away at the weight that we’ll feel when we face the former. Thus, when struggles arise, the things we looked forward to will carry us through far quicker.
That’s an overly theoretical, explanation-dense ramble, but the point is that I can acknowledge both the bad and the good that’s to come, but this week has tempted me with the thought that the little milestones I can really get excited for in the next few weeks, will be more important to me than I realise.
There’s a few opportunities on the horizon, some for truly valuable friendships, some for really cool portfolio work and exhibitions. There’s a few cool events in the pipeline, and despite the amount of work I know I’m going to have to get through, there are considerably rewarding entities at the end of them all.
I’m really trying this “shit happens” approach to life that I managed to pick up last year. It’s not necessarily about disregarding things for sake of life getting in the way, but it really helps in not dwelling on those things. I dwell-ed a lot last term. I dwell-ed a lot the term before. It really casts a dark cloud over one’s being. I really want to encourage you to practice reflection, internalisation, and letting go (the final stage being the most important). Don’t forget the lessons, but don’t stitch every experience onto your coat.
I won’t disclose too many of the exciting things just yet. I don’t want to jynx them, and you also need to have reason a come back next week. Haha.
Look after yourselves. The seasons are changing, we can become vulnerable to change as well. If you need to make changes, now is the time. Otherwise, stay true to the course you’ve set yourself, and I’ll see you - having grown, matured, and blossomed - on the other side.
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