When I say the word “future,” what comes to your mind?
A scary, hairy monster that gives you goosebumps and paralyzes you with fear?
Or a peaceful, mountain meadow that fills you with joy, excitement, and happiness?
It’s all in how you decide to approach things.
The right mindset, so to speak.
The future used to terrify me.
Back in high school, I was distraught with fear when senior year came around and I had to choose a college, choose a major, and basically choose the life I wanted to pursue without anyone telling me what to do or how to do it.
I was a ball of stress. I was so focused on fear, my priorities went down the tube. I lost a lot of weight, gained a lot of anxiety and parted ways with some friends. Once I decided on a school, I eventually just had to take a semester off to re-evaluate my long term goals and rediscover Alexandra.
Taking time to breathe turned out to be the “pause” I needed to jumpstart my life.
That “pause” gave me mental clarity and the tools I needed to cope with my fear of the future. God has a perfect plan for our lives and I just needed to RELAX and trust His timing. After attaining my Bachelor’s in marine biology, the future doesn’t seem so scary.
I have big dreams in both bodybuilding and the marine science field and I don’t plan on half-assing either anytime soon…
Bodybuilding-wise, my long term goal is to compete in Women’s Physique, and in order to do so, I need to put on a lot of size. While I’d love to compete again sooner, I know what has to be done. I’m absolutely LOVING the offseason and learning to maintain balance, consistency, and the daily routine. The stage will always be there, and I don’t want to sacrifice long term goals for short term pleasure. I’m in it for the long run!
Marine biology- wise, I haven’t told many people, but next February, I plan on pursuing my Master’s (and eventually PhD) in Marine Sciences from the University of Otago in New Zealand. Yes, it’s a long way from home, but I’ve always been one for adventure, travel and new experiences, and I’m not afraid to branch out! Aaaaaand the University has an incredible program and an absolutely awesome location for research.
I wish I could go back and tell high school Alexandra that everything turned out just fine. Sometimes, I still get anxious about the future or feel like I should have my life more together, but I quickly slap myself and say, ” You’re in your 20’s, you DON’T have to have your life all planned out. God’s got that all worked out for you. That’s what makes life exciting, enjoyable, and amazing.”
YOU are in control of how you interpret life, the future, and your dreams.
When you decide to make “getting your head right” a priority, everything else just seems to fall in place, and the future no longer has its fear-gripping power.
The Globetrotting Guppy 