Counselor's Corner

“Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast — you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.”
—Eddie Cantor (1892-1964)

Have you ever had the experience of winding up some place you didn’t intend to go because you were operating on autopilot?

Maybe you’ve rushed to and from work or school for a long time, and then one day realized that you were driving by something you never knew existed?

We probably all do those things from time to time, but some of us really let life slip past us.

Ours has become a 24/7 society and we rush to fill every moment with something “urgent” that must be done lest we throw the cosmos out of kilter and cause life as we know it to cease.

This is a hectic time of year for everyone. It’s even more so for students because you have precious little time before final exams and final projects, and the transition to another semester, another school, or perhaps even to work.

Pile on the obligatory travel and holiday events and you may find yourself suffocating under the weight of it all.

We in Student Support Services hope you will keep life in perspective and not let it weigh you down.

Once upon a time, in a not so distant past, leisure time actually meant that for us.

We worked hard during the week, and we relaxed on the weekend. Vacations involved doing fun things at a leisurely pace. Sometimes, folks just sat and read the paper or sipped coffee while watching the sunrise.

Today, vacations and leisure time stress us more than our time at work. We feel incredibly pressured to make every moment productive.

For this holiday season, we would like to propose a different definition of productivity. Have some productive time to close your eyes and breathe.

Turn off the TV, put aside the newspapers with their calamitous headlines, and put your feet up for a while.

Don’t just spend time with family and friends; rather, enjoy time with them.

Don’t try to be all things to all people; be yourself in a really awesome way.

Enjoy where you are. Know where you’re going. We’ll be here if you need us. Peace.

—Student Support Services