A Happy Medium by Erin Murtaugh

As 2014 came to a close, I realized I had a lot to reflect on. I graduated high school, started college, became friends with new people, burned bridges and made memories.

I decided to compile a list of five of the things I learned in 2014. Give some of them a try in 2015:

1. Things that happened in high school don’t matter too much once it’s over with. It’s best to leave high school in the past as you move onto college. Sure, things you learned in class may come in handy while you’re in college, but other things won’t. Aside from good memories and knowledge obtained, let the rest go.

2. If you’re passionate about something, don’t let that passion burn out. Sometimes, when I get overworked with photography projects, I get annoyed and tired with it. Because of this, I’ve decided to take a break from doing photography as a side job and solely focus on my projects for school. With each project, I saw my passion growing more and more. I’m hoping second semester my passion for photography will be as strong as ever.

3. Read books. I have recently fallen back in the habit of reading books for enjoyment, and I’m glad I have. It allows for personal time with yourself and is also good for your noggin.

4. Pay attention to what’s going on around you. It’s so easy to get caught up in our cellphones and other technology these days. Take some time to shut everything off and just take in what’s going on around you. It’s easy to miss something amazing going on when you’re too busy responding to something on your device.

5. Be yourself and surround yourself with those who support you for you are. This one is the most important thing I’ve learned all year. If you have to pretend to be someone you’re not around certain people, that’s not right. Surround yourself with people who support you for who you are and lift you up. I guarantee you will be so much happier with yourself.

Happy New Year!

 

Albert Lea High School graduate Erin Murtaugh is a first-year student at Rochester Community and Technical College. She can be reached at murtaugh.erin@gmail.com.