It’s February, so people have probably started asking about summer plans. Handshake pings you with so many job opportunities, your inbox feels like a game of whack-a-mole. 

The spring semester always comes with a slew of unanswered questions concerning next year’s housing and post-graduation jobs, resulting in a stressful thought spiral. It’s easy to fall into the mindset that if you don’t get your dream position, you’ll permanently jeopardize your future.

But remember that physics majors have become lawyers, that people who’ve never gone to school have started multi-billion-dollar companies, that the poorest people can be the happiest, and those who have seen the worst of humanity have found true joy and peace. The possibilities are endless — and that’s a good thing.

This world is interconnected, constantly in flux, where no path has a dead end unless you make one. You might not earn a cent this summer. You might have nothing new to add to your resume. You might hate your job. But to define yourself by your circumstances is to make your world smaller and more miserable. Gratitude enables us to look at the days ahead with childlike wonder and excitement, rather than dread.

This is Hillsdale, so we don’t need to tell you that it is important to do your best, but it’s also important to accept that some things are beyond your control. No application result, housing outcome, or job offer can compromise your peace unless you let it.