The NACADA Surprise

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When I was in high school I was a relatively shy guy that liked to stand in the shadows. I didn’t like the spotlight and did my best to blend into the crowd. This version of myself would have been shocked to see what he’d become and the experiences he would get to participate in. He would be amazed to learn that without a push from anyone he would submit a proposal to speak at a National Conference for people in his profession. I think he would be floored to learn that his proposal would be accepted and that he would have the opportunity to share his thoughts about supporting Native Hawaiian college students. He would find that his future self was no longer afraid to be in the spotlight and was willing to share his true feelings about the world around him.

These are the types of surprises I would like to live for. With the amount of changes I’ve experienced in 16 years I can’t help but wonder what the next 10 years will hold. How different will I be? Will I have overcome character weaknesses that I once thought was unchangeable. I know based on my past that nothing is set in stone. Everything in our lives are constantly changing, which in turn affects us. We change with every good and bad experience we come across.

This is a good enough reason to keep living. To see what surprises life has in store for me.