Whether you are a “three children, two retrievers, one wraparound porch” type of person, a “corner office, Boston brownstone, Nobu dinner for one” or even a “I don’t even have a schedule for next semester,” there is nothing quite as exhilarating or enervating as our prospective future. As we ponder an eventual culmination of our efforts – the lives we’ll create beyond Lancaster Ave. – an abundance of concerns come to mind. Where will I live? Where will I work? Will I be married and have kids? Where do I head from here? And amid the noise, our true ambition is abandoned.

Outside of an infinite chase for two-dimensional satisfaction, we wonder: “Who am I? And, who am I meant to become?” I’m unsure we will ever have a solid answer. For now however, we are Villanovans. Villanovans with Elmer glue sticks and a dream.

Last Thursday, Oct. 31, I had the privilege of mulling over these fundamental questions with fellow students at a vision board workshop held in Falvey. Emily Harris from Learning Support Services hosted this event, entitled Meet Your Future Self: Vision Board Workshop, as part of Empowerment Week on campus.

As one would envision (see what I did there), the Empowerment Week’s vision board class was flooded with motivational stickers, vivid florals, beaches, pilates and plane window seats. As students trimmed and pasted, they dove into issues far more momentous than fad diets or exercise classes. 

One attendee shared a motivational motto which, cliché as it seemed, calmed her chronic stress: “Go through and grow through.”

Another revealed her consternation before a semester abroad. From finances to remoteness, fear and homesickness, her future abroad was uncertain. Uncharted. And even if the collection of sunsets and trim suitcases have no influence on her real semester, there is undeniable comfort in crafting these idealized versions of our lives.

There is nothing wrong with a vision board brimming with Benjamins and the corner office and the brownstone in Boston. There is nothing wrong with material desire. But to transcend the material, to address the heart of the matter, we need more.

For now, as Villanovans, I encourage exploration outside of the established “visions.” Each of us has an authentic occasion. Each “Who am I? And who am I meant to become?” cannot be reduced to its concrete bits. We are so much more than our careers, homes, travels. We are so much more than a cookie-cutter future.

So, join the club. Find the friends. Make the vision board. When Lancaster Ave. no longer lends itself to your exploration, continue searching for your answer.