If the winter teaches you anything, it is this: there will always be things that humble you and put you in your place. No matter how much you bundle up, or feel you are prepared for the winter chill you will walk out the door and be floored by how cold it is. Sometimes, you think things are going great, only to have the chill creep up on you all the same.
As students, we are often so worried about taking that trek through the cold and tackling that cold head-on. That feeling of being humbled and being cold is one and the same, sometimes, you have to brave the pain so you can come out the other side.
Just as the cold keeps us inside and prevents us from going out or doing anything, the feeling of being perceived as a failure or having shame prevents us from being humbled. We want to have everything be climate controlled, we want all of the protections and guarantees that we will be totally fine in the face of a challenge or task. But if we do not know the cold, how bitter it stings, we can never know the warmth of spring and the growth of summer.
We can not grow in earnest if we do not take risks but our fear of being seen as someone who can’t handle the task or doesn’t rise to the challenge prevents us from ever giving our most earnest effort into the things we care about. All too often, there are students who have a genuine passion for something personal and yet they refuse to ever try because if it’s not perfect the first time, you might as well quit.
But growth comes from pain and losing shame and guilt. Just as the trees cast aside their leaves every fall and winter, you, too must forget the feeling of shame and guilt if you wish to live earnestly. Only by exposing yourself to the elements and letting them blow away your old growth can you make room for new opportunities and experiences.
If you stay inside all day when the winter is howling, you often prevent yourself from doing things that you care about, seeing people you like or doing things important to you. How many people make New Year’s resolutions just to say, “it’s too cold, I won’t bother today”? Commitment requires some level of discipline and discomfort. You must take that miserable walk to your car or to class if you want to accomplish your goals, otherwise they might as well be pipedreams.
Being humbled requires you to brave that cold and to do so over and over again. Only then can you feel the warmth of the sun, see the first sign of growth and reap the benefits of your persistence.
