Each week Clemson’s sect of IfYoureReadingThis posts a letter to the community on the topics of mental health and encouraging their peers. Last week’s letter came from senior biochemistry major Kaylee Board.
IfYoureReadingThis.org is a mental health nonprofit that empowers students to build and tap into their support networks by amplifying the faces and voices of the people who want to connect. Students across the nation write letters to their communities and share the responsibility of being vulnerable, closing the gap between students with mental health challenges and the people that care about them. Clemson is one of many colleges and universities that have a IfYoureReadingThis site.
Kaylee’s letter focused on spreading yourself too thin in life – especially during the college years. In her letter, Kaylee reminds readers that success isn’t measured by how filled your calendar is, how many extracurriculars you are a part of or the number of things you say “yes” to. Rather, success is measured by our well-being and happiness.
“Everyone’s path is different, and success isn’t about how many things we can juggle at once or how much we can pack into our schedules. Success is about finding balance and doing things that genuinely matter to us. It’s about knowing when to push forward and when to take a step back and focus on ourselves.”
Kaylee’s letter is a beacon of light for those who sometimes have a hard time saying “no” or defining success.
“Saying no doesn’t mean you’re falling behind—it means you’re setting boundaries. Second, just because someone else appears to be doing more than you, it doesn’t mean they’re more successful. Everyone has a unique path, and our worth isn’t defined by how much we can cram into our schedules.”
