When Life Hands You Lemons

I believe my mini rants the past few posts have urged everyone to believe that I may be struggling in the life department right now. I honestly am not complaining because I am very aware that I have many positives in my life and I am incredibly thankful for that.

On the other hand I am experiencing life as a scared 24 year old who is currently feeling helpless and discouraged about my future. 

I know the vast majority of people, if not everyone, goes through this phase at least once - but it still doesn't change the fact that it is scary.

At this moment I seem to have so many hurdles thrown at me as I try to get into nursing school. Deep down I know I will get in eventually but having your plans pushed back 6 months to a year seems like the end of the world when you are fairly fresh out of college with no career. 

So what do I do in this time of trepidation in my life? Well...

Remain Positive: This is easier said than done. I have been quite upset the last few days about things not working out as planned - news flash Hanna life tends not to work out as planned. I am a planner so not having a plan or changing my plan is hard for me. The good news? I do have a 4 year degree. There are other chances to get into nursing school. I'm still young and even though a set back seems like a life time in my eyes, it's not. 

Do Something Productive With Your Time: Since I have had this semester off, I have been working two jobs. As much as I enjoy some time off, I cannot sit around the house and leisurely do stuff all the time. I like working or doing school work. It gives me a purpose. Currently I am nanny for a 3 year old girl and 4 month old twin boys. Am I learning life skills? You betcha! While I will never be fully prepared when I do have a child, I am learning all these skills that will be applicable to my own life and children one day. 

Unwind/Do Something Enjoyable: Now that you may find yourself with some more free time it is a great time to go out and enjoy the things that you will have less time for when you do have a blossoming career! I unwind by going to the gym and spending time at the barn. With my work I may not be able to get to the barn as much as I would like but I definitely have more time now than I will once I have a nursing career and I take advantage of all of it. I can ride more and I am starting to show more again and it makes my heart fill with joy being able to spend time improving on my riding and get back in the show ring!

It's Better Late Than Never: With the competitiveness of college, health programs, and graduate programs I am well aware that there are people who don't get in their first time around. Devastating? Yes. Unreasonable? Nope. This is where perserverance comes in. Would I love everything to work the first time around? Yea! The reality is that is not happening. It didn't happen for my mom either. She had to apply to medical school twice before being accepted. One of my best friends mom also had to apply to medical school twice before getting in. It happens. This weekend my trainer said, "It's better to be 30 with an education than 30 years out without an education." 

I truly hope I will be in nursing school before the age of 30 but this is what I want to do and I will get there. It's better to be 30 and pursuing a good career and my dreams than sitting around and doing nothing. 

So I will leave you with an inspirational quote and we can all empathize together. Things don't go as planned and that can be hard to swallow. So are you going to sit around and give up? Or you going to find another direction and purpose for your life? Or are you going to dust yourself off and try again?