Name: Joy Zavada
Age: 21
Location: Peckville
If you could give your younger self any advice, what would it be?
I am grateful at a young age I started searching for who I was. But that doesn’t mean that I didn’t struggle with comparison and identity issues. Here are three things I would say:
1. I am a BEing like everyone else, but one that can’t BE replicated.
“Go ahead, wear that retro 80s jumpsuit you got from your gram gram. Smell the flowers that are growing on the side of the street and pick them. Roll down that crazy steep hill, you know you want too!”
2. Look closely into areas where I seek approval and cut off ties with people-pleasing.
“Don’t be deceived! It’s not rude to kindly say no to an event you don’t want to go to. It’s OK to say to Pops you believe college is the route for you. It’s your life. Look at what you believe about your life and who you are! Who spoke that into your life? Question if it’s tangible/true to you.”
3. Don’t be the product of your environment; let the environment be a product of you.
“Imagine if a lamp decided that it wanted to fit well into a dark room. You’d probably be searching for light. Just because the room is dimly lit doesn’t mean who you should be to. If you are a bubbly, fun individual, cultivate the quirk. I swear, it’ll create an environment that makes others feel more comfortable in who they are too.”
What motivates you to succeed?
You’re listening to your favorite song in the car. It’s on repeat and there’s a part that you are infatuated with. You go back the few seconds to relay it over and over. Often, we think we could go back in time through memories and relive the moment again. Yet, in reality we are all on a train that doesn’t stop until the doors open and you’re kicked out. Mostly without warning or expectation. We could stop the clock to our favorite music but never stop the clock from presenting now. Past and future are thought anymore, but now, well, that’s a present. What will your tune sound like if someone were to pick up your track?
