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We are down to about three weeks left in the semester, but I don’t feel a sense of relief. I can’t even see past next week.

If you’ve been following along, you guys know I love this program. But I’m having a hard time today drumming up a bunch of enthusiasm to share with you. And I think that’s okay.

It’s okay to be honest that there will be hard weeks, and downright terrible days, while you’re in this program (and in life!).

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For as many good opportunities and successes you’ll have while here, you’ll have bad days: sources who won’t talk, sources who yell at you, difficult topics to cover. You’ll inevitably drop the ball on something, some time. That story you were so proud of might not go over so well when you turn it in.

Anyway, I’m not trying to discourage you. But I think it’s important to be honest. We’re all just people right?

I read this the other day:

“Things arise and things dissolve forever and ever.”

It made me feel a little better. The challenges presented by the story I’m working on this week might seem insurmountable, but they will inevitably dissolve. New challenges will arise, but guess what? Those will dissolve too. And so life continues. I might be struggling today, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to fail out of the program or not be able to get a job in the future (yes, these are the crazy conclusions my mind always jumps to on the bad days).

Okay, so remember – it’s okay to struggle and be discouraged, but it’s also not the end of the world. Maybe you already knew that, but I sure needed the reminder.

p.s. since I wrote this this morning, one of my professors called me and encouraged me which was exactly what I needed. It’s funny how things work out when you accept and face your own struggles.