Finding your balance  

If there is one thing we all learned during high school, it’s that the world can be a chaotic place. Responsibilities such as showing up to work, making sure your car has gas, and not forgetting to do your membean; are dropped on your shoulders before you even realize what they mean– and as we get older, especially as graduation approaches, their weight only grows heavier.  Suddenly, everything is shifting. The future starts to move faster. In a world dominated by social media, constant updates, and ever evolving technology, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

 That’s why I believe it’s important to find something consistent. Something that grounds you. Something you can return to when the world feels like it’s spinning too fast. It doesn’t have to be big or complicated.  It just has to be yours.

Music is an escape. There’s something powerful about how you can completely lose yourself in the rhythm, the melody, and the harmony of a song. As I was growing up I fell in love with the way the sound of a guitar seemed to fly though a song, like it was made to fit in but also to fly by its own chords. When I expressed the desire to make music to my parents eleven years ago, my mom bought me my first guitar. The feeling of receiving the ability to make music with my own two hands was amazing, when I learned my first song it felt empowering. Although it was only the little drummer boy. My first thought was (I can play the instrument that has the power to fly). Although now it’s a bit beat up showing the battle scares of living with a 6 year old it’s one of my most treasured possessions. Ever since then whenever my head  gets too loud, music quiets everything, whether it’s the sound of the birds out in the woods/ music I make up, or heavy metal allowing me to scream at the top of my lungs with no repercussions; it all helps calm the chaos in my mind. The structure in the chords, a flow in the notes, and a peace that settles in when I let myself fall into my music. The older I get, the more I understand how vulnerable that is, how healing it can be to sit alone with a guitar, or listen to a song that perfectly captures what you’re feeling when my words fall short. 

Over the past four years we have all had our own bad experiences, but to find something that grounds you can help you get through it all. 

 Of course, Music isn’t the only escape. Everyone has something different that helps them recharge. For some they dive into books,  escaping into worlds far away from their own filled with warriors, fairies, thieves, and everything else our creativity can come up with. Others find peace in drawing or painting, turning a blank page into something meaningful. Well some find comfort in working with their hands in a garage, repairing engines, or just sitting down building something real and tangible. 

These escapes, whatever form they take, matter. They are not about running away from life, they are about surviving it. About finding balance in the world that often feels out of control.

 So, if you already found that thing that brings you peace, hold on to it. And if you have not yet, keep looking, because sometimes, it’s not the big moments that keep us going. It’s the small ones; quiet, creative, and grounding that helps us find our way forward. 

But hey we are at the end now exactly one week till we never have to step a foot into these classrooms again. For some college is ahead others work. No matter where life takes you I hope it’s great, but when things get a little too loud I hope you have your escape to balance it out. 

“Who opened the door to nowhere? – Day 194 of Project 365” by purplemattfish is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.