Have you ever been stressed about an upcoming project at school or maybe had a rough day at work? Maybe, you were told bad news and can’t even imagine the stress that will be visiting you soon. As you run around trying to figure out what to do with these problems, you don’t stop to think about what the true solution is to calm down. It’s not the breathing techniques or taking a break from the phone, not even the guided meditation approach. Maybe the true way of ridding away stress is to just let go.
This doesn’t mean to let go in the girl’s trip to Vegas type of way- though I’m sure that helps for a couple of days. I mean to stop for a moment to take in life. Take in how nice the weather has been lately; how lucky you are to be surrounded by people who love you and reflect on the good things in life. Stop once in a while to smell the roses.
This metaphor some might deem cliche is something to consider incorporating into your daily routine. It encourages people to enjoy life by stopping and thinking about all the great things that are out there. There are numerous benefits and opportunities that we can experience if we also live life to the fullest. Embracing new experiences helps you become a better person by leading to personal growth.
Life is short. As Ferris Bueller says, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it”. We should all enjoy life so that we don’t face the worst feeling- regret.
For the seniors about to graduate- have you felt like your high school career has flown by? Do you remember watching the 8th-grade slideshow on Zoom, where we said our goodbyes and watched the class of 2024 grow up? The teachers in middle school told us how fast high school would go by, but I never realized how true that was until now. My peers and I could not wait to graduate high school. We never stopped to enjoy the moment because we only wanted to get to senior year. Now that we’re here, how many events can you look back on that you wish you were more involved in? We can’t always be waiting for the next event to happen because we won’t get to enjoy the place we are in the moment.
Time has felt like it is going by so fast lately. My advice is to spend every day doing things you love and soak up all the memories. We never know when our last day on earth will be, which is why I encourage everyone to live as though it’s your last. Living life to the fullest allows us to appreciate the beauty of existence and find joy in even the smallest things when we learn to focus on gratitude in everything.
Next time you are upset about a F on an assignment or maybe you woke up late, take a breath. Remember to step back, breathe, and be grateful for everything we have now. Life is short, and we need to enjoy it while we can.
