As the days go by it gets more and more apparent on how much time is passing. The leaves change color every fall, and every December gives us the holiday season. I’ve been alive to see 24 summers, and 24 rainy springs. I’ve been to Disney World 6 times, and left the country for 12 vacations. But what does that mean? Does it mean that I’m allowing myself to take for granted all the time I’ve been given? What do you do when time seems to be passing by too fast that you can’t seem to catch up with it all?
The simplest answer is, you do nothing. Time is an ever-changing thing that we unfortunately can’t control. From every second to every hour, time is passing us by whether we like it or not. So the question is, are you enjoying the time that’s passing you by?
If your answer is no, then you have some serious soul-searching to do. Life is far too short to spend it doing things we don’t enjoy. Don’t like your job? Find a new one! Or at the very least, find a great hobby you enjoy doing that can help you escape from reality for a little while. Need a change of scenery? Book a vacation somewhere far away to reset and recharge! Don’t have the money because you’re a broke student? Get your friends together for a girl’s night in and have wine while watching movies and catching up. We all need to find the time to unwind, relax and put our responsibilities to rest. The time will pass anyways, so we might as well spend it achieving our goals, with the people we love, and doing the things we enjoy the most.
Making life changes can be difficult, but are absolutely rewarding. Don’t be afraid to choose a new path if the one you’re currently on isn’t making you happy. Find new friends with similar interests, try new recipes, start volunteering, go back to school, learn a new skill or hobby. Get more involved and be active in your life and you’ll enjoy it that much more. Change is a part of growth and learning. Each and every day we learn a little bit more about ourselves and who we want to become. Our dreams, goals, and aspirations we once had may no longer make us happy, and that’s ok. We must learn to embrace the change we need in our lives as it doesn’t have to be this scary and stressful entity in your life. It may just be exactly what you need to get your life back on track, and get you back to a good place.
Live the life you want and that you’ve created for yourself, not what others dictate is acceptable for you. Today is far too short, and tomorrow is too far away to spend it on ‘maybe’s, ‘I don’t know’s, and ‘I can’t’s. We aren’t all promised a tomorrow, but we are currently living in the present. Make your life, goals, and choices count. Your happiness is the most important driving factor in your life. Never settle for anything less than your happiness, your passion, and reaching your dreams. What do you have to lose? Only your life.
Featured image via Edwin Andrade on Unsplash
The authors youthful naivete is in full display here. I had once upon a time only seen 24 winters as well. Now, having seen a few more than that, I can tell you that there is a reason that so many people end up “settling.” Change (and drastic change at that) seems a forgone conclusion to a depressive moment when one is young and still experiencing exuberant energy towards their life. However, as you get older, that same energy is often replaced with a deeper, more steady desire to accept things as they are and find peace in the here and now. Life is absolutely too short – I would contend this is why we shouldn’t waste it fleetingly jumping ship to new adventures whenever things start to feel uncomfortable.
There’s a cliche that the older people get, the more they settle. Only someone who has reached the more advanced emotional maturity that often comes with age could ever understand why that becomes an acceptable (even appealing) option.