Reflections | It's All About Perspective

How do you define reality? Do we dictate what is real? Determine each and every component of our existence, debate, dwindle, and finally decide which parts are real and what is fantasy? Is it all real, and we just label fantasy that which we do not have the ability to cope with/comprehend?

I've been having the best time at college. These past few days have been some of the most precious of my life, and I've encountered so many dynamic, energetic, curious and intelligent students, all of them equally as enthusiastic about calling this amazing University their home.

Today, on the way back from a massive volunteering project, a few of us had a discussion on Literature. We talked everything from Shakespeare, to classics, to Dan Brown, all the way to The Hunger Games and Divergent. We talked about what actually makes literature one of the elements that holds society together, and the immense amount of creativity and dedication that is required to create world after world.

CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE THAT ACTUALLY DON'T MIND TALKING ACADEMICS, PHILOSOPHY AND STUFF AND DON'T LABEL YOU PRETENTIOUS FOR WANTING TO DISCUSS SAID THINGS. Sorry i got a little excited.
[The proceeding two paragraphs has nothing to do with questioning reality and fantasy, but I felt the need to document this]

Needless to say, I've also been constantly exhausted, bouncing around like a fireball on 3+ hours of sleep every night. Caffeine, kids, is what maintains sanity. (But also, at the festival today, I walked up to probably a hundred random people and just started talking really fast; lots of mixed reactions, but I'm pretty sure all of these people assumed I was either high or drunk. Oops.)

But when I do take that precious me-time, I can't help but feel like I'm missing out on, well, life. Right now, I'm supposed to be at a Chance the Rapper concert at the moment, but after my shenanigans at the festival, I figured, if I don't get to my room and shower, I will probably stir crazy.

[I'll get back to the reality here]

Being here, meeting these people, going to the events- all of these magical moments- are so easy to take for granted. When things go uphill, it's easy to doubt it. It's easy to believe that this is the honeymoon period, and that soon reality will kick in, and once our dounts, our demons, our very own minds turn against us, all these experiences will only be a distant memory.

However, wasn't this the dream? Attending UCLA was a dream. At least, it was for me. Yes, we will drown in work. Yes, we will doubt our capabilities and probably fail a few classes; remember the things from our past that haunts us; listen to that voice that tells us that this is all in vain.

But it will also be the best opportunity to enrich our minds and challenge our beliefs in ways that isn't possible on a 9-5 schedule. The professors, the floor-mates, the people from across the street that you once played 10 fingers with- this is all real.

We all have our demons- those heavy entities that sit on our shoulders and tell us that all the positives are ultimately going to add up to a massive negative. The key to overcoming these is not something that I, an 18 year old who's barely seen anything of life, can advise you on. (Note to floor mates that may be reading this, though: I'm always all ears. Anything you have to say, I am always ready to be a sounding board).

What I can say, though, is this:
It is extremely simple to lose yourself in what you think is your reality. But, if you can develop the ability to turn that filter off and delve into the fantasy, there's honestly no limit to what you can achieve, or the amount of rewarding experiences that may present themselves to you.