You may recall that I was a mess, about 2 months ago. I was deep in the perils of finding a job right after college. Well let me tell you, I decided to become a certified yoga instructor, and it changed my life. After doing 200 hours of training, I would like to share some perspective I gained. For once I followed my heart, and did what I wanted to do, rather than what society told me I should do.
After my training began, I found myself occupied with something I loved. I actually enjoyed Saturday morning classes, even if that meant I wasn’t going to be able to go out on Fridays for the next 8 weeks. I had never seen this side of myself, someone who was soaking everything in, exploring new territory, and going outside of the boundaries of my boundaries. The thing is, before yoga, I never even realized that I had subconsciously made boundaries for myself. This was how unhealthy! Now boundaries might be confused with goals, but boundaries for me were weird life formalities I felt like I should live up to.
When I was in high school, I assumed that as soon as I graduated from college, I would end up with an office job, make tons of money, have a successful boyfriend, and be married by the time I was 25. Thankfully, I let some of those goals go, (married by 25? I can’t even commit to Netflix). However, the goal of finding a job right after college never went away.
And although I have found a job (2 actually), they are both very non-traditional, and are always up-in-the air. Sure, it can be stressful, but they both allow me to gain experience in different areas, stay on my toes, and not settle for something just because it seems like the right thing to do. I love where I am in life, I love being able to explore my options, and work towards my ultimate goal of teaching yoga in a studio.
What I’m trying to express is, life right after college can be seriously confusing, especially if you find yourself wondering what it is you really want.
Take time and get to know yourself. This is the first time in your life that you have the freedom to decide what you want. Even if you don’t land your dream job or you want to do something totally unrelated to your degree, it’s okay! This is the time for exploration, so dive in headfirst to your passions and see what happens. Life is too short to live up to a standard set by generations before us.
Caitlin Hatch is a recent graduate of The University of Texas with a degree in government. She has a passion for politics, yoga, and social media. She is currently training to be a yoga instructor through Black Swan Yoga in Austin, TX.
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