Life is full of moments and memories. Some are insanely great and you want to savor them for as long as you possibly can. Some of them are really tough to get through, and you find yourself counting down the hours and the minutes, begging time to pass. Others you don’t even notice, like routines you fall into at school or home. What I’ve learned through lots of experience is that whether you’re loving the moment or hating it, you have to be in it to get the most out of life. There are three stages of time: past, present, and future. It’s hard to stay in one for a particular amount of time, since jumping among them can be exciting, nostalgic, or hopeful. But the most important thing you can do for yourself no matter what situation you’re in is to take life one day at a time.
The future
Life is exciting. There are a million opportunities and things you will do someday! One of my favorite things to do is plan things ahead. Planning fun vacations, summer activities, things I want to do with my friends. Planning and organizing is so important for college students because it gives us something to look forward to, something to make all of this hard work worth it. But for me, planning too far ahead can get tricky. Having long term goals is important, but sometimes putting all of my hope and motivation into the future can make the day to day kind of rough. Thinking about all of the stuff I’m going to do can make me overwhelmed, and make me feel like I don’t have enough time to get it all done. But there’s only so much you can do in one day. And who knows what will happen! Something could come out of left field and shake up all of your plans. But that’s what life’s all about! So instead of worrying about things you won’t even come in contact with for weeks, instead of trying to anticipate how you’re going to feel on “x” day, focus on taking things calmly, day by day.
The past
Ah, memories. Thinking back on the good times with friends and family is one of my favorite things to do. I have a ton of pictures hanging up in my room of wonderful times that were somehow perfectly captured in a 5 x 7. It’s amazing how great and nostalgic you can feel by looking back on the good times you had. Sometimes they even motivate you to go out and feel just as happy as you felt when you took that photo. But, on the flip side, sometimes memories can make you sad. Reflecting back on times when things were easier can sometimes remind you of how things used to be. And maybe you’re not feeling so hot right now… maybe things were better back then. Getting caught up in something like this can totally ruin you. When dealing with the past, I like to hold myself to Benjamin Dover’s famous quote, “it’s okay to look back at the past. Just don’t stare.” Remember the past, but don’t live for it.
The present
So here we are, literally. You’re in the present. Let me congratulate you, because there is absolutely no better time to be alive! Think about it: you can look forward to an event and you can remember how great an event was, but there is no better feeling than the joy and happiness you get when you’re totally in the moment. “The now” is what you’ve been waiting for! It’s what you’ll always remember. I’ll admit, sometimes my mind wanders and I start to think about things that I need to get done in the future or people I miss from the past, but when I get caught up in this, I always remind myself that all I can control right now is today. So focus on what you love and what makes you passionate right now. Taking life in small doses makes each day that much more meaningful. Of course, not every moment is memorable; I don’t really think about the granola bar I had for breakfast or the ten minutes I spent between classes playing on my phone. But overall, I’ve learned that living deliberately and thoughtfully is exactly how I want my college experience to be. So I make each individual day my highest priority, giving my fullest attention to each special moment, one at a time.
Sources
Source One: https://stocksnap.io/photo/8QTXGPAGH9
Source Two: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-of-pictures-185933/
Source Three: https://www.pexels.com/photo/bear-bench-blur-board-207906/
Source Four: https://www.pexels.com/photo/cheerful-close-up-coffee-cup-208165/