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| Bridget Kim Class of 2019 |
I become wary/worry/warty when my
life feels too… good. For example, the end of January 2018 finds me engaging
with fulfilling classes, wholesome relationships, and the prospect of a summer in
Oxford and China with some spectacular folks. But even writing about these
wonderful developments worries me. What if I lose that luck? I realized that
was unnecessarily silly thinking, plain-Jane preposterous, and I calmed myself
down by writing a list of questions to help me reflect. Answering them brought
me a little peace and a lot of awareness. I’ve interacted with a great deal of caring
and dedicated people in my three years at the University of Louisville, and
this is a condensed list of questions extrapolated from advice gifted to me from
those people in times of doubt.
1. Why are you
suspicious of happiness?
2. Are you proud
of everyone you surround yourself with?
3. Are you proud
of everything that you are working on?
4. Does
‘everything’ include all the important elements of your life (health, personal
and professional relationships, etc.)?
5. Even if you
aren’t proud of the current state of everything,
are you proud of your endeavors to improve?
6. Do you remind
yourself that you don’t have to be perfect at ‘everything’?
7. Are you
actively making decisions for yourself, or twiddling your thumbs and tolerating
the tide that takes you tapdancing toward total termination?
8. Have you stayed
true to your ‘20 Things to Do in My 20th Year’ list (update
accordingly)?
9. Have you pinpointed
the vulnerabilities of your selfhood that your brain likes to harp on?
10. How are you
combatting those intrusive thoughts?
11. Are you subconsciously self-sabotaging your
wellbeing?
12. If so, what
are your true insecurities about progress?
13. Are you
helping those around you in whatever manner possible?
14. Don’t you know
by now to avoid thoughts that make you question what you “deserve”?
15.What are some simple ways to enjoy your life and
the people who make it so good today?
Bridget Kim, of Morehead, Ky., is a junior McConnell Scholar studying political science and theatre arts.