As I entered my sophomore year of college, I was full of hope and eager to explore opportunity. I knew that this would be a year to truly focus on myself and figure out some important details of my life and my future. I wanted to learn more about myself, about my interests and dislikes, my passions, the things I was good at and not so good at. I came into this year with the want to gain a clearer understanding of who I was. And I can say now, that even a short five months later, by simply saying “yes” and going about life with a more positive attitude, I have been able to become more aware about myself in more ways I ever thought possible.
At the start of this school year I didn’t know what I wanted to major in, what clubs I wanted to join, or organizations I wanted to be apart of. I was genuinely unsure of what my passions were. Because of that, it was frustrating at times not even knowing who I really was or what I stood for. But, with this new take on a positive personality, I started saying “yes” to opportunities when they presented themselves to me. When I was accepted to be on the Communications Committee for TWN without any previous marketing experience and only with the knowledge I would work hard at anything thrown at me, I said “yes.” I was invited to join a Finance organization when I wasn’t even sure what the industry of finance entailed. I said “yes.” I received an interview in New Jersey for a summer internship and had never traveled by myself before, but I said “yes.” As new experiences and opportunities popped into my life, I pursued them even if I wasn’t sure it was exactly for me or what I was looking for.
By saying “yes” to these different opportunities I was able to better learn which clubs I fit into, which business majors really sparked my interests and goals, and what kind of company I could really see myself working for. By having these new experiences, I was able to open my eyes to other possibilities outside of the ones I originally saw for myself when I entered the Kelley School of Business, just a year before.
I truly believe that every day we are growing more into the person we are meant to be. I believe that every day we can evolve and continue on the constant cycle of change to truly realize who we are. By saying “yes” more often, you are giving yourself more power to stay open to all things that life will throw at you.
After all, if you say “no”, you’ll never even be aware of the possibilities that could come your way.
-
Rachel Bahr is from Plainfield, IN and is a sophomore at Indiana University. She is majoring in Finance, Marketing, and Digital and Social Media Business Applications. She is so happy to join the TWN Communications team! In her free time Rachel enjoys shopping and boating with her family.
