I think about the future.
A lot.
Especially when I was younger, I was terrified of change, of growing older, of being behind, and everything else that comes in the package deal of the looming future. But I can now promise that the future is not as scary as it seems.
When we’re younger, we’re told about all of the expectations that people have for us that we have to accomplish by a certain deadline:
Graduate high school.
Go to college.
Get a job.
Pay off debt.
Get married.
Buy a house.
Have kids.
Remember, it’s your life, not anyone else’s, and you get to decide how you choose to spend your life. Just because your path doesn’t look the same doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re “falling behind” or “wasting time.” You don’t have to be afraid of what’s coming next, because life has a way of working out even when things seem impossible or hopeless.
Society makes it seem like your life is over if you don’t follow this made-up timeline, but what they forget to tell you is that you have time. Your typical expectations of life are meant for whenever you’re ready to experience them. Everything happens for a purpose and a reason, and now that I’m at the age I feared being the most as a kid, I realize that as life happens and you adapt and move with it. There’s no need to fear the things coming because, whether you feel prepared or not, it all comes to you eventually, and you continue on living.
Life happens, and yes, it’s easy to spiral and think of everything that could go wrong, but when those things happen, you’ll adapt and take it as it comes. Yeah, bad things happen, and it’s hard, but there’s no need to fear the hard things that may come.
It’s easy to obsess over the potential downfalls of life and try to avoid them, but remember that good things also happen with time in life. Instead, remember all the good things that are about to happen in your life, all the new achievements you’re going to accomplish, the new people you get to meet, and the new experiences you get to try. There’s so much to life that is waiting to be lived, and so much beauty in it; there’s no need to let fear of the unknown and fear of what’s to come stop you from living the beautiful life you were meant to live.