Ever get stressed? Start overthinking? Worry about the future? Become anxious about your next step? It’s time to take a minute and breathe. Stop worrying, take a deep breath and realize that:

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. The future is in your hands and no one can stop you from following your dreams. Nail that interview. Ace that test. Take that trip. Keep on keeping on. The future may seem scary, but before thinking about the rest of your life, think about today. What needs to happen today so that tomorrow will go smoothly? How can I make today better than yesterday? How can I help someone today? How can I make what happens today count? How can what I do today make my future better, even just a smidge?

Today is important. Every day of your life is important. You were placed here in this place, in this situation, at this exact moment for a reason. Everything you do matters, even if it doesn’t seem like it at times. Every choice made, however difficult it may be, matters, so choose wisely. Feeling like your daily events are important is difficult to do in a world that tells you that you are just another person going to another job at just another office, or just another student going to another class at just another school but you are so much more than that.

Today is an opportunity. Grasp the wonder and the irreplaceable things of today. Recognize the numerous opportunities available to you today. Take those opportunities and fulfill your dreams and follow the path you’ve always wanted to follow. Don’t allow the stress and anxiety stop you from living a full and happy life with the ones you love. Opportunities should be taken when we see fit because, in the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take. So, take whatever has been weighing on your mind, fix it, complete it, lose it, and make yourself happy again because you are worth it.

Today is a new day. Lamentations 3:23 says, “His mercies are new every morning; Great is thy faithfulness”. Today is a day you have never seen and a day that won’t be seen again. Every morning you wake up is a blessing from the Lord and you should use it to the best of your ability. Forget yesterday’s worries and pick up the pieces. Ask God to help you put them back together and live today as if it is the first day of the rest of your life because it is.

After all that you have gone through, there is nothing standing in your way to make today better than yesterday. If your life starts to get filled with worry, anxiety, and stress, grab your life by the reigns and remember that life only happens once. So live life to the fullest and don’t sweat the small things, because happier days are coming your way.