I have noticed that while speaking with students this year, many of them say they are afraid of going to college or they are afraid of starting a new job. This is totally understandable and pretty common for a lot of people. Whenever we face something that is not familiar to us, we approach it with apprehension. We are not sure where it will lead us or what the future will look like. I have heard statements like "What if college is a lot harder than high school and I don't make it?", or "What if I get thrown into something at work and I can't handle it?" First of all, I think we need to take a breath and put things into perspective.
Yes, when you seniors graduate, you will find a whole new world out there. Things will be different and maybe at times a little scary. But remember, you have faced a lot of uncertainties in your lifetime and have come through in the end. How many of you were afraid to come to Vantage because you wouldn't know anybody or you wouldn't make any friends? You visited this building for the first time and thought to yourself that it was so much bigger than your old school and you would be lost coming here. You possibly were afraid of the cafeteria and where you would sit. You wondered if you would have any friends in your lunch period. All of these things were scary, but whenever I speak with the students after they have been here awhile, they all say the same things...they are so glad they came to Vantage and coming here was the best move they ever made.
As you may recall, I am continuing my series on the book "Callings" by Gregg Levoy. I like to take a quote from the book and expound on it. Today's quote is:
"...there is no failure. Or rather, failure is already assumed. I'm going to die and be a million years dead, and anyone who might possibly judge me for my pursuits and mistakes will be a fossil right next to mine in that Cliffside."
See, we can't be afraid of trying new things because we are afraid we may fail and people will laugh at us. It doesn't matter what other people think. If you try something and fail, then learn from it and move on. Don't worry that others think you failed or not. Everyone knows that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, but he also failed 1000 times before it worked. Thomas Edison once said, "I have not failed 10,000 times - I've successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work." Imagine if you would have let your fear stop you from coming to Vantage. Think of all the opportunities you would have missed. All of the credentials and skills that you wouldn't have obtained.
Don't let the fear of failure rob you of those opportunities that are ahead of you. Grab your future and everything that comes with it and then run with it. Put yourself 100% into everything that you do and never be afraid to try something different. Remember, anyone that laughs at your mistakes isn't really worth worrying about. The future is yours and I am excited to see what you will do with it.
