Don't Waste Your life Away

There are too many euphoric senses to not embrace life and smile.

Stop thinking about the moment everything will feel good and focus on what feels good now :)

The days when it all just makes sense are the best mood boosters and radiate so much inspiration that here I am again, writing. Sometimes I get hung up on a particular thought and for the next few weeks or even months that is all I can think about. Every movie I watch, book I read, conversation I overhear, fits perfectly into the same sort of idea that has been constantly running through my brain. Levels keep adding onto it and the more complex this theme becomes which is so cool to me however that works.

Recently the reel playing in the back of my mind has come back to the lesson of enjoying the moment. It started one night just wanting to write instead of studying, so I did because I knew that it would benefit me more in the long run of things because all rushing around does is put you further behind. More instances revolving around the similar concept kept appearing in my life and I do not know what or whom from, but I knew it was a sign and I could not just ignore it.

The end of the school year is days away and I am actually partly sad about it for the first time ever and this is because I have learned to just take a deep breath and enjoy life no matter the circumstances. I have been staying more positive and finding a way to make every day a vacation in this slightest silliest way but by just appreciating my life I have grown to love even the so-called bad parts. My overall revelation as of recent has been to stop waiting for the summer, waiting until I can drive, or until I graduate high school or even college, and just appreciate my current situation because I am living an awesome life and I can have fun every day. I am 15 years old, barely have homework, I enjoy school to an extent, surround myself with beautiful people, and am very fortunate so I am not going to spend my time wishing away my carefree life for the future when I could just live now and make memories.

The final inspiration that got me to write this (my second, more complete journal on the topic) hit me today and it was so simple but everything just made sense at the moment. It was storming like crazy when my dad and I were running to the car after eating dinner out and he mentions how we were running to the car with the mind set that we would get less wet than if we walked, but that is not actually true. Everybody runs to get out of the rain, but surprisingly enough you could end up getting even wetter or equally wet than simply taking your time and walking, therefore, why waste your life away rushing through the good times to just get bitten in the butt later on. I had done all this thinking and came back to my dad an hour later and told him his trivial comment changed my whole perspective on life (haha). I live for these types of moments when I read into a compilation of minuscule events and they all portray the same lesson at the end of the day and it feels like a sign to just listen to the conclusions I am drawing and it all leads into an overall goal of self-improvement that is always available on the horizon.

As mentioned previously, I have already written a journal on this topic and it digs deeper into the details of this lesson and I cannot just throw it away so here is the prelude shall we say:

10:09 PM and I am utterly exhausted, yet instead of sleeping or studying for my Spanish test tomorrow, I have been drawn once again to write. The computer tab 3 down from the google doc I am writing on is an article about how to not waste your life that I haven’t gotten a chance to read yet. The picture posted on my Instagram story is of a message stating that life is too short to not do the things that make you happy. The YouTube video I just watched showed me all the good times like the ones I constantly waste away. All three of these sources all fit together hand in hand without that being the initial intention and all I can take it as a message; a message to live a little & have the time of my life while I’m young and I can.

I come back to this conclusion often and when people come to me for advice I tell them to just go for it even when I would not necessarily advise, but as said before now is the time to live carefree. As a teenager, you are allowed to make mistakes and these few years will make a lasting impression on my whole life, these are the years that matter. Want to dye your hair? Do it. Want to eat the last slice of pizza? Do it. In retrospect, the small things you risked like a skipping a sports practice or that $20 bill you spent aren’t going to come to mind because of the memories, cliche enough, will last a lifetime.

it is all about living in the moment and being content with your lifestyle even if it is not much. Being content is the ultimate fulfillment not by materialistic habits, but coming from inside. In class, we were discussing how our new generation just wants to “live in the moment” and doesn’t aspire to reach achievements because they are lazy. I agree with this to a degree, but the argument also brings a side of unnecessary negativity. Why should taking the time to slow down to appreciate the life you have made for yourself be a bad thing when all it does is increase gratitude, positivity, and reduce stress. This is taking care of yourself, always rushing around and causing chaos will cause so much harm mostly on your mental health, yet taking a lap to breathe will only help.

I hope this journal changed your perspective too and that it makes you think before complaining about your current situation instead of making the best of it.

As always thank you for reading!

-Emma Claire