Roll with the punches

There's something to be said about hardships. We groan and cry and curse whenever we encounter them, but really, without such difficulties in life, we wouldn't have goals, motivation, and perseverance. 

When a goal is made, it almost guarantees a bumpy journey. But if you weren't willing to roll with the punches, you wouldn't have even let yourself get in the ring. The good thing about such a certainty is that it makes the victory that much sweeter once it's acquired. If all things in life were easy, nothing would give us that thrill, the champagne bottles wouldn't break open, and the cheering wouldn't be so loud. Eh, that wasn't so hard; I set forth to accomplish a task, now it's done, onward to the next thing. But if you set a goal that required a journey instead of a walk around the park, the finish line would be all the more rewarding.  

I set a goal to go to a university instead of following the tide into community college. A more expensive way to go, perhaps, but I was determined. I sent out applications, wrote my essays, applied for scholarships, completed my FAFSA, sent my transcripts, saved my money and waited. It was a lot of work and difficult to persuade some of my methods, but I am now about to attend the university of my choice in the Fall, and I know that it'll all be worth it.

Sometimes I think about college and get a funny feeling. Do I really want to do this? Is it worth the money, flying so far away and missing all my friends and family? I knew from the beginning this undertaking wasn't going to be easy, but like I said, it'll just make the end result sweeter. I still have a ways to go. FAFSA proved to be worthless as they never offered me a dime since I'm not considered an independent, and all loans are based on good credit scores, of which I have none. But eventually a way was provided. I'll have to work my butt off during school and in the summer, but I've come to terms with what will need to be done. Some people have it a lot worse, so who am I to complain? 

I guess mainly what I'm trying to say is that if things get rough, don't give up. I write that and I feel like I'm giving a cheesy pep talk, but it's true. And while the road may have a lot of pot holes, things are a whole lot better when you have support. Prayer, friends, or even just an encouraging word will go a long ways, so don't by any means start a journey unequipped and solo thinking that you'll be heroic, it'll just make things a lot more difficult. Set your sights, run the race, expect a few falls, learn and enjoy the experience.