I Learned From… The Unexpected

As if being in a sorority, completing my school work, going to church, and getting to the gym weren’t enough things to try and fit into my schedule, I recently decided I wanted to join Model UN. I’m trying to make the most of my time in college, even from the beginning, by being involved and taking opportunities as they come. With this mentality, I applied for a leadership position within my sorority (I don’t know if I’m elected to the office for about another month though) and decided to try out Model UN, even though I never did Model UN in high school, and didn’t really know what I was getting myself into.

I was finally getting into the swing (of the beginning) of things; I signed up to volunteer at a run-a-thon event through my sorority, and after attending a few Model UN meetings, I signed up to be a delegate at the first training conference. Little did I know that both these events would fall on the same day. I was able to work it out so that I would still be able to attend both, but I would be busy practically the whole weekend, from Friday morning to Sunday night, but I knew it would be worth it, so I went full steam ahead into the weekend, ready to learn and participate and try new things…

Until I woke up Friday morning totally sick, had to go to the doctor, and would be “contagious” for 24 hours (with “pink eye” that turned out to be allergic conjunctivitis, so I was never contagious at all), meaning I’d miss volunteering, and the first day of the conference I’d already committed to. That Friday, I didn’t know I really wasn’t contagious, as I found the real culprit, allergies, three weeks later when the symptoms keep recurring, so in that moment I was in a panic. I had to quickly find a replacement at the run-a-thon and somehow work it out that I could miss the whole first day of the Model UN committee. It was not a good morning. The one weekend I had booked myself out and fit everything in, was of course the day I wake up too sick to go anywhere.

I had a rude (and literal) wake-up call that morning knowing I was too sick to participate, but I did learn a few things from hitting the bump in the road and having to work around missing the first events of my fully-booked weekend.

1. Your health really is the most important thing…

   

   This goes in sickness and in health. On a day-to-day basis, it’s still important to remember the little things like drinking enough water, getting a good night’s sleep, and eating balanced meals. Constant stress is bad for you, and exhaustion or dehydration can make you feel even worse. It’s important to give your body the care it needs when you are sick, and to take steps to keep you healthy in the future.

2. And people will be understanding of that.

   

   Of all the days I could’ve been “sick”, it was the one time I had lots of things I needed to reschedule. I was pleasantly surprised by how accommodating people were to filling my spot or working with me to bring me up to speed when I was able to attend the Model UN conference a day later.

3. It’s okay to be vulnerable and need help.

   

   It was hard for me to have to back out of things I’d already committed to, but it was for reasons out of my control, and that’s okay. I’m a very independent, driven, and often stubborn person, so it was hard for me to accept that I’d have to change my plans and work harder at the conference the next day.

4. You can do anything, but not everything.

   

   This may seem like a petty example, but I had time to think while I was stuck in my dorm that day and I realized that I really can’t do everything, especially that weekend when I felt like I was. It gave me some perspective for how many things I can balance on a regular basis.

5. “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.”

   

   Most importantly, whatever is meant to happen, will, and there’s no stopping what the Man Upstairs has in store for you. Whether that’s having “pink eye” for three whole weeks and not being able to wear makeup (as someone who wears makeup daily), or having to come off your high horse and lighten your load a little, we’re all human, and we aren’t invincible. God’s got an awesome plan for us that’s waaay better than anything we could ever try to create on our own.