Every so often I try to peer outside the day-to-day bubble that is Penn State in the anxious attempt to catch a glimpse of my impending future. For four years, all I've been able to see are the hazy outlines of a life somewhere beyond the protective walls of this happy valley. Well, graduation is almost here, and the bubble has burst. My future came rushing in like an intense tidal wave of reality. It crushed me, only to pick me back up by the scruff of the neck to say, "Here I am, now what are you going to do with me?"

So I stared back at my future. Then I glared, inspected, explored and finally gave up with a bewildered shrug of my shoulders. Life beyond college had finally arrived and was standing right in front of my eyes, practically pounding me on the head, and I still didn't know what I was looking at. I clenched my fists, narrowed my eyes and tilted my head, hoping to be suddenly struck with the enlightening spark that would illuminate my concealed future. In a fit of dizzy frustration, I stomped my feet and screamed, only to watch my future chuckle back at me, obviously amused by my defeat. "What are you doing?" it asked. "You can't see me, so stop trying."

I sighed and calmed my nerves. "If I can't see my future, then how do I know where I'm going? How do I know what I'm supposed to do, what I need to accomplish, and where to start?"

My future paused, hazily hovering just beyond my reach. "You need to stop defining accomplishment in such rigid terms. Success is perceptual, not material, and achieved daily through a continuous sense of happiness and meaning. Eliminate your tangible ambition and cultivate your passions and desires. Listen to the ambition within. Not with your ears, but with your heart, mind, and soul.

I stopped and thought for a moment, still perplexed. "But I need to know what path to take in order to discover a future that's right for me. Without a destination, my life will be unable to move forward. Where am I going?"

I grew increasingly irritated as my hazy future became ever more indiscernible. "Life has no fixed roads to follow," it finally replied. "Uncertainty is what makes each day so interesting. Accept 'not-knowing' as part of the journey. You're on the path right now. What's so great about knowing where it will end up? You can't wander off the path of life. It is created with each new step. Your destination is defined by where you go. Stop defining the journey by the destination. Remember -- the process of self-discovery is continuous. Listen to your ambitions, but follow your heart, for fulfillment will be achieved only if an inner voice guides your decisions. If your ambitions change, then change your direction."

I thought for a moment, trying to absorb what my future was telling me. "But I need to do something now. What should I do?" I asked.

My future receded and became more difficult to see. "Don't allow the environment to determine the course of your life. Search within yourself to create a future. If you learn to engage the world and interact with your surroundings, life will navigate itself. Know that while any complacent person can look forward to a future, only the enthusiastic and hungry personality can look forward to a rewarding and meaningful life," it said.

I smiled, suddenly comfortable with this feeling of uncertainty. I felt a new sense of security outside the sheltered confines of the Penn State bubble. The fuzzy outline of my future remained floating somewhere far beyond my grasp. It remained blurry and mysterious. So I closed my eyes and listened within. I still have no idea where I'm going. But now I know how to get there.