The Little Things
April 21, 2015

Back in January, I watched the entire season of Friday Night Lights, and I really loved it. While there were so many parts that I loved or felt emotional about, one character’s college essay really got me teared up… and got me thinking. Here is Tyra’s College Essay:

“Two years ago, I was afraid of wanting anything. I figured wanting would lead to trying and trying would lead to failure. But now I find I can’t stop wanting. I want to fly somewhere on first class. I want to travel to Europe on a business trip. I want to get invited to the White House. I want to learn about the world. I want to surprise myself. I want to be important. I want to be the best person I can be. I want to define myself instead of having others define me. I want to win and have people be happy for me. I want to lose and get over it. I want to not be afraid of the unknown. I want to grow up and be generous and big hearted, the way people have been with me. I want an interesting and surprising life. It’s not that I think I’m going to get all these things, I just want the possibility of getting them. College represents possibility. The possibility that things are going to change. I can’t wait.”

Isn’t it beautiful? It’s full of hopes, dreams, and possibilities. It’s full of goals and passion, and I absolutely love it.

I Can't Stop Wanting...

In life, it’s easy to be fearful of failure. It can feel embarrassing, perhaps we feel guilty, or maybe we’re even ashamed of ourselves. Perhaps we’re worried about the judgments of others. Whatever the reason for our fear, that fear of failing can hold us back from so many dreams and “wants” for our life.

If you had to sit down and write this college essay, what would your “I want…” statements be? I challenge you to figure out those wants, and then tenaciously pursue them, without letting the fear of failure be the thing that dictates your actions.

There have been so many wants in life that I’ve actually been able to accomplish, but I don’t stop wanting either. Perhaps my a few of my wants might go something like this “I want to finish what I started and get my PhD. I want to publish a book. I want to travel. I want to love others deeply. I want to cheer loudly as my children graduate from college….” No matter what your wants are, though, there’s no way to achieve those wants while clinging tightly to fear.

“I want an interesting and surprising life…”

Now it’s your turn to share! What’s one of your “I want…” statements for the future?

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3 responses to “I Can’t Stop Wanting”

  1. Rachel Denler says:
    April 21, 2015 at 1:43 pm

    I want for my life to never feel stagnanct- where every day is the same and there is nothing to look forward to. I understand that there are many seasons to life- ups and downs, successes and failures. But those are all expected. It’s the monotony of nothing new ever happening that scares me.

    I can’t wait to see what the future holds. I enjoy challenging myself and growing to be a better person.

  2. Abby @ BackAtSquareZero says:
    April 21, 2015 at 10:10 pm

    I want to get healthier.
    I want to feel good about myself.
    I want to have a family someday.
    I want to pay off my debt.
    I want to travel.