The Overwhelmed State

With all that this year has brought to me so far, I find myself overwhelmed. I am overwhelmed with experiences, knowledge, circumstances, and, most recently, opportunities. The way I see it, this all comes down to two options of how to handle this “overwhelmed state.” Option 1: Freeze up. Refuse to absorb any of the information at your finger tips. Simply hide in the “safety” of trying to stay where you are, not moving forward or backward. Option 2: Seize the opportunity. Choose an attitude of thankfulness for the chance to learn and grow through life.

Obviously, option 2 makes the most sense. And from the outside, it seems relatively easy. But something about this stage in life, and possibly the rest of my life as I am coming to learn, doesn’t make this option easy. There is so much happening/changing/blowing up at once that it is too much to take in at one time. I sat down last night after being overwhelmed in an apartment search for summer housing and decided to officially take option 2, regardless of the difficulty presented. This morning as I begin to tackle my day and the achievable line items on my to do list, I already feel as though option 2 is farther away. Now that I recognize the potential in front of me, however, I realize it is too important to waste.

Yes, there is a lot I do not know at the moment. I do not know all of the details of what I am looking for in a seminary or how the 3 trips I have planned in the next 6 weeks will play out. I do not know how to successfully find a 3 month lease apartment in Greenville so that I can work this summer. I do not know why I thought it was a good idea to take 20 credit hours and join an extra ensemble, or even how to appropriately manage my time from here to fulfill the duties I now find in my lap. BUT, all of these situations are chances I have to learn. In the next 2 months, I get to try my hand at all of these vastly important life skills. Like a child thrown into a pool, I have no option but to learn to swim. So this is my running statement of choice. I refuse to let this “overwhelming state” in life get the best of me. I refuse to let option 1 creep into my consideration. I am going to figure these skills out, one day at a time, one decision at a time. And most importantly, I am going to let my faith be the strong foundation that keeps me grounded when I get lost or confused or overwhelmed. When in doubt or uncertainty or fear, I am so thankful I do not have to do this alone.