Hey Everyone! I hope you all are having a great week and have wonderful plans for Father's Day this weekend. I just want to wish all the fathers and father figures out there a Happy Father's Day! You all are truly appreciated. A special shout-out to my main man, my dad, Rod Swiner. Thanks for always loving and supporting me throughout my journey. Andddd thanks for letting me crack jokes with and about you. I love you!
Okay onto this week's topic. It's graduation season, so we thought it was appropriate to talk about the things we've learned since we've graduated ourselves. I graduated from Pitt in 2016 and these last three years have been eye-opening, to say the least. So here's what I've learned so far.
1. It's okay to take risks.
Once I graduated, I took a look at my life and realized a few things. I was single with no kids and no ties to the city I was living in. This meant I could go wherever I wanted to start my next chapter, which is what I ended up doing. It's easy to get comfortable with a place, whether it's your hometown or where you went to undergrad, but you have to realize when that particular place has given you everything you could get out of it. You will never reach your full potential unless you push yourself to new heights and test your limits. I am an avid believer in moving, especially if you have the flexibility to. I've learned so much about myself and grown in ways I don't think I would have if I had stayed in Maryland or in Pittsburgh. I've met new people, gained new experiences, and advanced my career all because I took a risk to move to Ohio. You can't grow if you don't change the soil.
2. It's hard, but that's okay.
Post grad life is taxing! You feel all these outside pressures to settle down, have kids, travel the world, etc. all while trying to make money and start your career. It's really hard to navigate this part of life, but it's okay. Your journey isn't someone else's. Maybe you have friends that are getting married or traveling every month, but that doesn't mean you aren't right where YOU are supposed to be in your life. Don't use other people's metrics to judge your life, that's not healthy. One thing I have to keep telling myself is that I'm young. I'm only 25 and I have my whole life ahead of me. Yes, this is hard, but I'm going to get through it, just like you will.
3. Be open to change.
If you're anything like me, you have a full proof plan with a timeline of what you need to do and when you need to do it by. Having a plan is good, but you also have to accept that it's guaranteed to change. Whether it be how you get to a goal or the goal itself, something is going to change. The older we get, along with the new experiences we have, shape us into different people. Our priorities and interests change as we grow - as expected. I had to learn that it was okay that my plans changed and that it didn't mean I was doing something wrong, it just meant that I was setting myself up for something better.
4. Love what you do and do what you love.
I think this is the most important thing I've learned these last three years. If it isn't bringing me joy I'm not going to waste my time on it. At this point of my life, I'm looking out for myself. I'm doing things for me, not my friends or my family. This is the part of life where you're transitioning into being a real adult and only you can define what that looks like. Get to know yourself. Surround yourself with love and learn as much as you can along the way.
I hope these help! Let me know something you've learned since graduating. Tweet me or DM us on Instagram!
See you next week!
-The Chemist
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