Hey Stingers!
Today, I’m going to give you one piece of advice.
Be unapologetic.
This is the time to throw yourself into the void of life and just take it for a ride. Do what you fear most and do it with pride, regardless if you look a little silly.
I speak from experience and say that I have taken a year off from being me and I’ve had the time of my life. I have gotten over some fears — except spiders, that will NEVER happen — and developed new ones. I have traveled across oceans with my only parent, my father, and told him how I really felt about his view of the world, which wasn’t completely positive. I have made new friends, some that fully accept a very open me, and I have broken down so many boundaries that I had built inside my head. Now my thoughts flow in a more open manner and that’s not just inside my head, they tend to escape through my lips from time to time as well. But above all I no longer feel lonely even when I’m alone.
I feel free and open to the world of possibilities in front of me and I can’t help but think what would of happened if I just did that sooner. Instead of living through my last year of university trying to reorganize my mind as I organize my studies and future, I would at least have had one thing figured out a little better—my way of thinking.
Why was this important to me, you ask? Well, I was tired of not being heard. I’m a little shy yet very opinionated and strong and I wondered what would happen if I presented my strength before my silence.
The time to do this is now, while we are young, learning how to grow and experimenting with who we want to become.
I’m going to write it as simply as I can and since I know our academic establishment loves bee references, I’ll use one.
Sometimes you just want to leave an impression that stings.
Gallantly Yours,
Shekhinah Raine
