by Keisiah Dawn Tiaoson | May 3, 2023
Graduation day speeds towards you like a train and time within your hands is fleeting. Each smile you give to friends, each laugh you share with your block mates, each eye contact you make with strangers, they are reaching their limits. Soon you will leave the portals of Silliman University, so you ask yourself — what is next?
In the pursuit of living a life driven with purpose and meaning, you already know by now that what comes next is up to you. Your dreams, your idea of success, and your measure of happiness.These are all significant fragments of your entire being. You may not know exactly where to bound next, but you know that your heart is always a dependable compass.
It is important to be reminded that deciding for your future is up to you. You have the power to change your destiny. You are bound to do greater things than anyone around you can ever imagine. All those bittersweet moments inside the campus prepared you for something extraordinary. Your cries, late night screams, and heartaches–all these are manifestations of how strong and ready you are to conquer new and uncertainchallenges. Life out there may be a trial-and-error ride, but you possess the true Sillimanian Spirit. Follow your own north, redirect when necessary. Life isn’t meant to be figured out the first time and now, the wheels are in your hands.
Unlike in high school when summers came and went, the times have now changed. You will tread different paths with your friends. Some may choose to take their respective board exams, others may proceed for higher studies, few will take the time to travel,and others will choose to help their families. These are all very valid courses of action. There is nothing wrong with choosing what you think is right. After all, this is your life and from here on forward, you are responsible for casting your own net. Some of the people around you may also struggle in determining which is the best action for them in fear of getting left out. And frankly, no one is exactly sure what he or she is doing. But you know that following the direction of where your decisions give you delight, is a brave thing to do. No matter where your choices lead you, as long as it makes you happy and fulfilled – walk into it with no regrets.
On a slower route, one may also decide to go back to your long forgotten hobbies. You may choose to paint the face of your lover in a huge canvas again or opt to write poems to touch human hearts. You may trek on mountains and take pictures of this wonderful world. But going back to where you find your significance is a privilege that one has. It requires money and time, but it is sometimes what the spirit needs – a break.
Graduation day opens many doors toward improvement, opportunity, rest, and even pondering. There is a lot more to life than simply following where the tides of opinion from your friends and family take you. Go with all confidence to the place where you feel most significant. Believe in the magic dreaming can give. Hope and faith can take you somewhere unimaginable. Believe in your possibilities. Believe in yourself.
