OP-ED: You need to question the paths you take
Many of us are counting on the Gen Z kids to fix this mess, to help make this world a better place for everyone. It really is up to them. So, here are a few things to consider that may help them on this journey.
First, and foremost, it really is all about choice. We spend our days making choices. We pick out the clothes we want to wear, and we decide how we want to fix our hair. Well, here’s a secret. Each and every day, we can decide if we want to be happy, angry or sad. It is absolutely a choice, sometimes a tough or complicated one, but it is ours to make.
When someone says something hurtful, we can decide to let it hurt and react accordingly, but that’s a choice we are making. Just because one thing goes wrong, we don’t have to decide to allow that to dominate our feelings. How often have you heard, “That ruined my entire day.” One sentence, one comment that took seconds ruined hours of time. Don’t let someone kidnap your feelings.
Also, purposefully seek out the things that make you happy, that make you feel OK about yourself, and make you smile. Life is so much better when you’re not throwing yourself against a brick wall and making yourself miserable.
Surround yourself with people who are nice, who care, who are loved and give love. The more time you spend with negative people with low self-esteem, the more miserable you will be. Seek happiness, but you also need to be honest with yourself and learn to manage your expectations.
Take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way to better yourself. Everything will not always go your way. Look for opportunities that will allow you to grow and learn. That will give you an edge, by making you better at what you’re doing.
Also, if you work outside your comfort zone in some areas, you will grow both emotionally and intellectually. That way, you’ll have a better chance to be successful at whatever it is that makes you feel good about you, too. Remember, you must like you before other people can or will. Everyone likes a positive person.
Nothing, and I mean nothing, lasts forever. The only thing we can count on in life is change. Change is that one constant that will be with us from the time we are born until we are gone. Don’t fight change. Learn to embrace it, to understand it, and to go with it. Make sure you try to ride the wave rather than fight the ocean. Life can change in a millisecond. You can hold onto the things that make you feel comfortable, like those old shoes or your favorite sweater, but understand that everything changes no matter if you want it to or not.
Sam Walter Foss once wrote a poem about a medieval calf that went for a walk. The next day a dog followed the trail made by that calf. Then a bellwether sheep came along with all the other sheep behind it. Finally, a person saw the path and walked that same meandering trail that innocent little calf had made.
The difference was that the person assumed it had been made by other humans. And even though his complaints were never-ending, he continued to follow it. Later the winding path became a road, and towns were built along it.
We’ve all followed calf paths both physically and intellectually. You need to question the paths you take. Make sure you’re not wasting your life following some nonsensical path, and be sure the paths you create make sense, too.
Nick Jacobs is a Windber resident.