TWO WORLDS COLLIDE

I woke up this morning to get my workout in as I usually do. But today something changed. I looked down as I got my socks on. They were mismatched. They usually always were, but for some reason I couldn’t help but stare at them a little while longer. The thought never bothered me. It was unintentional yet purposeful. To me, it was a habit. It was like elevating my uniform. A routine that wasn’t in chronological order. Following a regime, yet adding my own individuality to it. Little did I know that my unintentional habit would end up a valuable lesson. 

4 years ago if I were to think of the word “mismatched”, I would have thought of it as as an imbalance, an incompatibility, a type of unevenness, a visible disparity. Ask me about that same word today, and I'd answer differently. Today, I would connote the word as a contrast. A paradox that embodies the phrase “life could be thought of as a beautiful mess” One that allows me to take the good with the bad. One that balances out my imperfections. A polar opposite that allows me to embrace both my extremes, yet sets a middle ground between the two. I think of it as having the chance to experience two seasons at once. Some winters are too cold. Some summer’s are too hot. But both those seasons in moderation, and we bring about a whole new season. What's stopping us from categorizing one sock as the sun and the other as the rain to find that our one unintentional habit brought about a rainbow? 

Socks always come in pairs. Sometimes’ it's a pack of two, Sometimes four. Sometimes even six. They come coordinated. A visual that they belong together. But would it really matter if you chose to coordinate them differently than how they were presented? If I went to the gym that day wearing those very mismatched socks, would that change my performance? That would be unlikely. Because my performance is dictated by my initiative. My motivation. And my dedication towards my goal. Like change. 

7 am coffee

Good morning smiles

Skipped breakfasts

9 am lectures

Spontaneous FaceTime calls

Study sessions

Evening shifts

2 am workouts

Irregular skincare

Somewhere along the way you ran into a setback

Change took over. 

From then on it turned into

Good morning at 4 pm

Messy room

Pile of clothes

Overdue lectures

16 missed calls

A forced smile

A wet pillow

Sleepless nights

But you did it

You grew into the mismatched pair of socks. 

Coordination met reality.

And it all made sense.

I understand how our comfort stemms from our routine. I understand how much of a difference a coordinated outfit makes. It makes us feel complete. As though we have our life put together. But I’ve also come to understand that at times “life happens.”

And when it does, It’s okay to have to switch out of the coordinated pair of socks to invite a mismatched pair.

You are just as capable if not more of running that mile 10 seconds faster than before. You are just as capable of finishing that third set, and making your way to the fourth. You are just as capable of setting yourself up for greatness. Because the truth is, you were the one who gave those socks the recognition that they deserve. You were the one that incited that change. 

Some days it’ll be the sun that comes out

Some days it’ll be the rain that overshadows that warmth.

But one day, you were going to realize that there was a rainbow hidden all along.