Sehnsucht
Sehnsucht is a German word for the feeling that combines the emotions around the imperfections in life and the yearning we have for a different experience. I’m sure that everyone has experienced this feeling at one point or another. Perhaps it’s those moments whenyour life feelslike anendless cycle of working, eating or sleeping, or perhaps it’s when you see someone’s seemingly perfect life on social media.
As I pondered my personal sehnsucht, I started to think about the sehnsucht that I had experienced in the past. During my freshman year, I found myself languishing in coding-based classes and yearned to find something that I would enjoy and could see myself doing for the rest of my life. Soon after, I found design, switching my major and started taking classes that I loved. During my sophomore year, I wished that art was more present throughout campus. The next year, I got involved with art matters and was able to help raise awareness of the arts on campus. The point is that while I’ve nearly always had feelings of sehnsucht, I also feel like I have the self-efficacy to change the imperfections in my life and move forward. I feel like I have the abilityto improve as a person continuously and that each year of my life tends to be better than the last.
As I’m drowning in work, trying to find a job and going through my last year in school, I yearn for a very different life, one with more structure that would help me be more consistent with my habits and be better about doing the things I care about. I yearn to travel and experience the world. I yearn to eat meals regularly, and not just when I can fit them in my schedule. I yearn to create things that will be important to others and provide value. I yearn to make a positive impact on the world and the people around me. Thankfully, I can see the beginnings of these things in my current life, and I’m confident that I’ll get there sooner or later.
With everything that’s happening with the Supreme Court and the world, I have much sehnsucht towards things that I can’t control, but I have to accept the fact that change happens slowly and through the small actions of many. So this is a reminder for you to register to vote and to go out and vote!!
Drops of the Week
where I *drop* recommendations of cool things this week
Article
“The Gulp War” by Dave Stroup- extremely weird and fun article about water tasting competitions that happen every February and that seems to ignore the realities of water
Book
Survivor by Chuck Palanhiuk- I’m still working on this book, but it’s super interesting so far. It follows the last survivor of a cult, and the strangeness surrounding it.
Playlist
Sept 2018- I could share my own September playlist, but I like my brother’s better.
Thanks so much for reading! If you have any comments/concerns or fan/hate mail for me, you know how to reach me (links below).
Love,
Nikhil