It Gets Better, I Promise

I spent a lot of my time throughout college and the following summer wondering what would happen to all those I considered my friends at college and whether I would see them again after leaving. My simple answer is that I failed to keep in touch with many of them, due to my own insecurities about starting conversations over Facebook or Whatsapp or text. Eventually, I even stopped talking to the people I spoke to every day. It hurt a lot to think I'd lost all those connections.

Starting university was a big step, especially as I had barely anyone I could talk to from home and being so far away hit hard. I ended up spending nights and days just ignoring the people I shared halls with or even trying to make conversation with people in my course or year group. I thought I'd never have a problem leaving that university behind after I finished that degree, but just last month, I found out I was very wrong. I didn't want anything more than to stay with the new friends that I had finally found.

It took me nearly two years to start talking to most of these people, and some I didn't even meet until my final year! Looking back on all those times now, I believe I was wrapped up in my own sorrow to actually extend a hand to those around me. Now I've managed to come out of my shell and spend hours talking with people, whether it be about pets, dungeons and dragons, anime or video games. I've gone on more road trips and laughed more in my final months at university than I ever had in my first two years. I couldn't be any more thankful for the time I spent with other people that I'm glad to be able to call my friends.

But this was supposed to be a motivational post, so I'll get back to the point. What I wanted to say was that even if times seem dark, or things appear to be bleak, there are always people that you can rely on to make you happy and cheer you up, even if you haven't managed to meet them yet. They say time heals all wounds, but I also think there's a little luck needed for this as well.

However, don't just rely on time and luck, I still needed to take the steps necessary to engage with people, like turning up to new societies and social events. Sometimes you need to put yourself out there in order to reap the rewards. But don't push yourself too hard! Baby steps, in the beginning, is perfectly fine, after all, you need to learn to crawl before you can walk.

Now while I may not be an expert in the matters of motivational speaking, I believe that anyone can help others just by sharing their experiences, so I decided to share mine with you in the hopes that I can add just a little more light to your day. By seeing what I have done, hopefully, I can encourage others to try, but if this does nothing to help you, then don't be disheartened. There are always more people that have written advice, both amateur and professional, that can offer other advice that might be of help to you.

So keep your head up high and keep looking forward, because you never know, tomorrow could just be that day where everything gets a little bit brighter because of the people that are in it. Don't ever be afraid of or intimidated by others just because they appear to have everything. Like a large circle of friends or that they appear to be able to talk to anyone with ease. You will find the people that you can be comfortable with. Myself? I found a small group of friends that I socialize with almost on a daily basis now. Just more evidence to never give up.