 Yesterday I had the chance to visit with students who are considering attending Marquette University - 1000 miles away from their families - just as I was back in 2007- 2008. I was thrilled to find out 75% of them were going for engineering!
Making the choice to "go away to college" is difficult for a 17, 18, 19 year old to make. Choosing to go 1,000 miles away in a town or city or state you've never been to a complete gamble. I can't tell you how scared I was. It was a major mix of emotions from choosing to give up my chance to play college softball, to being away from my mama, not seeing or being around for my brother & sister, not knowing ANYONE remotely near Milwaukee, but also pure excitement for an adventure to learn, grow, find my calling and who I could be. Marquette did all that AND more. Not only did it help me escape the racism and politics in South Texas but it opened my eyes to the possibility of what a real, loving, accepting, open-minded community could be. Granted, there will always be politics, there will always be kakaheads determined to be mean, ugly, or rude. But when the vast majority of people genuinely wanted to know WHO I was, what my goals & aspirations were in life, what I enjoyed doing with my time INSTEAD of what I was - I was floored. I share all this because attending Marquette was one of the best decisions I ever made in my life. Taking a chance on myself in one of the scariest and most unknown, unpredictable situations I've ever been in - it paid dividends! Neale Donald Walsch says "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone". Ironically enough, he's from Milwaukee :) It was a blessing to be encouraged and supported by my Mama. Her love and pure belief in me gave me more strength than I could have ever imagined I had inside me. Our experiences make us who we are. Taking risks, investing in ourselves, & "just doing this for me" decisions are necessary. Don't shy away. Take them head on!
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 Put your boots in the air like ya just don't care.
There are all kinds of articles and tips and tricks and philosophies on tricking your mind into NOT looking forward to Friday and hating Sundays - I get that. You should wake up EVERYDAY excited to be alive - enjoy the work you do - blah blah. I'm here for all that. But to be honest - if any of you have been watching my stories - I'm straight up EXHAUSTED. like BEAT. It's been rough yall!!! No joke. I love my job but holy hell, these last 4 weeks have destroyed me. Mentally draining doesn't even begin to describe. Granted, I whine about it every time I realize how much I'm torturing myself but I've also made it a point to raise a few red flags around the office (up a few rings of my management chain). I'm dedicated & hardworking but I'm still human and my tank is dang near on empty. As much as I want to give more and stay late and pour out my heart & soul into giving back & my passions & working out... there's only so much Brianne to go around. I'm not an endless source of energy even though I tell myself to "push through" sometimes. Learning how to slow down. Take time to just chill or put my legs up against a wall bc my feet, knees, and back hurt so bad I can't just lay flat on the ground - I need to do that. You need to do that. It's normal. It's okay. We need to rest. There's alot of self-management we've all gotta learn and it takes time. It takes practice. This is certainly something I've been raising awareness for myself & keeping tabs on what I'm doing, how I'm feeling, & whether or not I think I can keep up the current rate at which I'm functioning. Be sure to audit yourself. What are the things draining you? When was the last time you actually recharged? unplugged from the world & did something strictly for yourself? was it something "by the book" or something random like laying sprawled out on your living room floor? 😏 |
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Brianne is an international speaker, engineer, and 2x business owner sharing her experiences about life, career, & growth. 2023 The People Engineer® |
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