College is a time where people claim to “find themselves.” However, finding yourself can be a very confusing thing. At least in my college experience, I have struggled with not yet feeling like an adult while still having to deal with adult responsibilities. I feel like I still have many years ahead of me for “growing up,” though there are people only a few years older beginning big time jobs, getting married and starting families. It is easy to get caught up in the competition of college, constantly comparing yourself and your accomplishments in life to those around you. However, I am here to tell you — and myself —  that it is time to stop dwelling on the past and future and to start being perfectly content with your present life.            

Many people spend too much time thinking about all of the things they wish they could change from the past. Sometimes it is just small things such as wishing you had never tried to change your hair color or disliking the way you used to dress. Other times our regrets run deeper: wondering where you went wrong in an old friendship or wishing you had made a few smarter life decisions. Whatever it is, you cannot change the past. The past is there for you to learn from your mistakes and move on, not wallow in it and sit still. Do not let your past define who you are or affect your happiness.

It seems as if when we are not living in the past, we are trying to predict and control the future. In college, it is easy to let life become a routine of counting down the days until the next “thing.” We spend so much time looking ahead to our next test, the next break from school, what comes after graduation, and so on. While all of these things are very important and deserve attention, there is a fine line between planning ahead and wishing your life away. It is important to strive to achieve your goals and dreams, but stop racing to grow up and enjoy the fact that you are still young with many years ahead of you.

So yes, it is okay to think back on the past every once in a while and it is okay to make goals for the future. It is when you let these things determine your happiness that it becomes a problem, because it is also okay to not be 100 percent sure of what you want to do with the rest of your life. It is okay to be single. It is okay to have days where you put off everything and do absolutely nothing but laugh with friends. Whatever you do, do not underestimate the importance of here and now. If you decide to be content where you are and make the most of every situation, everything else should fall into place.