“Time just gets away from you so quickly. And there's these moments that will never come around again. And there's something so terrifying, but also so beautiful about that.” -Luke Hemmings
Entering into high school, my main focus was reaching the finish line, putting on that cap and gown, and graduating. Even though I didn’t even know what I would be doing after high school, I knew that I wanted to get there. For those first few years, I spent my life just drifting along, not really paying attention to the moments I was living in, and instead, I tended to live in the moments that I hadn’t even reached yet. I didn’t focus much on things I could currently be doing to simply thrive where I was; I instead only worried about what I could be doing to get to the next thing. I was so ready to figure out my life and what awaited me after high school that I completely overlooked what was right in front of me.
As I entered my senior year, though, and really thought about what it meant to graduate high school and leave the only life I’ve known behind me, I started to realize the importance of actively appreciating and making the most of what was going on around me. In just a few months from now, I’ll be hours away from home, living without my family, and surrounded by new people and experiences. Thinking about all of the changes coming up, I’ve started making a conscious effort to be mindful of, appreciate, and soak in where I’m at, and in doing so, I’ve realized that I should’ve been doing that all along. Even now, there are so many things that I look back on and wish that I had appreciated more. There are people I wish I had spent more time with, experiences I wish I hadn’t taken for granted, and opportunities I wish I had taken.
Along with missing out on the moment, I also realized the importance of putting yourself out there. Without those experiences and opportunities, you have no moments to live in in the first place. Every person you meet and every situation you experience weaves itself into your story and makes you who you are, so saying no to and intentionally missing out on things right in front of you only takes away from your story and your character.
So, as I write my final article and try to instill at least a tiny bit of advice, I encourage the person reading this to be present where your feet are planted and keep your eyes right in front of you. Say yes to that opportunity that approaches you, tell someone that you appreciate them, go on that trip, join that club or team, sing in the car at the top of your lungs with your best friends, treat each situation as a blessing, and do it all while appreciating that you are here in this moment for a reason.
It's easy to want to move on to what's next, but, like that quote from one of my favorite people ever, Luke Hemmings, said, every moment we live in is a moment we can't live in again, and that just makes every moment even more special. I know a lot of our focus is on the future, but the best thing we can currently do to help ensure a future of enrichment is to soak in each moment so that, in doing so, we can fondly remember the memories and people that got us there.
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