I was gearing up for the chaos of finals week when I went to a coffee shop to prepare for a nerve-wracking AP Chemistry test. I settled in, ordered a coffee and opened my MacBook. I was cramming in some last-minute studying when I received a “no internet” notice on my computer. Already a nervous wreck, I anxiously asked the kind barista for the WiFi password. She gave it to me, and I resumed my studies. However, I started getting restless as every time I clicked a link, it took what felt like an eternity to load. This kept happening to the point where I packed everything and left. Seriously, I got so mad over slow WiFi that I walked out of the coffee shop.
As a society, we take too much time getting worked up over meaningless things. Our days are spent critiquing everything in our heads, getting angry for no legitimate reason and jeopardizing our own happiness and success because of it.
According to a 2018 survey by the Pew Research Center, 60 percent of U.S. adults said they sometimes felt too busy to enjoy life. To make matters worse, 74 percent of people have experienced stress to a point where they felt like they were unable to cope, according to a 2018 study conducted by the Mental Health Foundation.
These frightening statistics reveal the human nature of constant stress, which can lead to feelings of anxiety and built-up tension. These adults can’t even make time out of their day to relax and destress themselves from the craziness of the world, so what does this mean for our futures?
Everyone will inevitably die one day or the other and it is important to be present, in the moment and take a step back to enjoy what is in front of you. We only have one chance to make our lives the best it can be, so why are we still getting upset over the car driving too slowly in front of us?
With that being said, it is important to use caution with this mindset as it can create an overzealous attitude which could possibly come with consequences. Yes, you only live once, but that’s not an excuse to do whatever you want, wherever you want, with whoever you want.
It’s important to seek pleasure in our hobbies, whether it be reading, taking a stroll in the neighborhood, jamming out to music or journaling. These activities make life worthwhile and allow us to find satisfaction in the small things. It allows us to make more of what we already have in control and give our lives a purpose.
We also need to be mindful of what we let frustrate us. We need to stop and ask ourselves, “Is this really worth being upset over?” The answer to this question is most likely no. Our happiness and mental health are all threatened if we don’t consider our time to focus on the small, positive things in our lives.
As corny as it sounds, take time to smell the flowers. We owe it to ourselves to make our lives the most beautiful, most passionate and most flourishing as possible. You only live once, so why waste time living it on other terms?
