YOUNG GUNS

Moving Forward

Miko dela Cruz

A time come in every young adult’s life on which he has to make crucial choices. That time inevitably varies, but often it happens soon after he has finished with his educations. What will he choose? Where will he go? Who will he take along with him in his journey? This is the point of one’s life where the greatest of choices are to be made.

What will be the choices that we should make? Will they do work based on the educations that they have received? Will they be successful in finding work that suites to their unique background and personalities? Often, this choice is very hard to make, as the options nowadays are slightly shrinking in possibilities. If one couldn’t find work that suits their self and worth, will one settle for a job less satisfying? Or will one just lie about and wait till grace and favor befalls on them?

Often, young adults are lost along the way. After a blissful and carefree life of doing nothing but being a good student, the hammer of fate lands a hard blow to the ‘fresh meat’ of society. Young adults suddenly come face to face to the challenge that is called ‘responsibility’. We are now responsible to take care of ourselves, to lend a helping hand to our families, and to be a productive member of society. We try to fit in and do our share. But sometimes, somewhere along the way, we look back and think to ourselves; ‘Be I really happy with what I’m doing?’ The cycle to being ‘lost’ hence starts.

One must be prepared to handle the criticisms on this stage of life, and the pity and frustration one may receive for being too ‘lazy’ or too ‘picky’ to find a decent job. Relatives and friends will call you out on this matter, telling you tips on how to do it right. The unproductive young adult will be the talk of his circle, being labeled as an example of somebody who possesses undesirable characteristics. Life, in general, will start to suck.

If the case is so, I urge my fellow young adults to not be discouraged. Society, in its own callous and tactless way, has always been urging the lost and the underdogs on. We are supposed to be challenged by the pressure that is being forced upon us. A cruel lesson, yes, but the world itself still lives in the principle of “Survival of the fittest”. A hard nudge is usually effective in bringing out the best of characters.

How can we accomplish such a task so? The first step is to don’t stop believing in one’s self. Even if the world has conspired against you, your walk in life is determined on how you should believe in yourself; on how you are confident about the skills and characteristics you have in order to make it through. Being assured by one’s own confidence gives you an extra motivational factor to push on through. Being confident means not being afraid to take difficulties along the way, and come through the hard times in one piece. Belief in one’s self helps to keep one spirit up, and assure others that you are someone who has a strong conviction to get through life.

And always remember to always move forward. Reminiscing and nostalgia is good and all, but we must not forget that the future depends upon the acts made in the present, and not the past. We must move forward, and never look back, for life was meant to be lived every day, one day at a time. /TE