When I was in eight grade, I had a teacher that I still think about every so often. I don’t remember her for her teaching style or what I learned in her class, but I’m constantly reminded of how she scolded her students for complaining that the weekend was so far away. "If you're always wishing for the weekend, then you're wishing away 5/7 of your life," she said.
At the time, I blew off her words, because the idea of not wishing that the week would end seemed not only ridiculous, but impossible. How could I not look forward to a couple days of relaxation and fun with friends? Now that I’m older, however, I have come to realize just how right my teacher's statement is.
If you’re constantly living for something that won’t happen for a day, a month, or maybe even a year, you’re never going to be satisfied with your life. I’m not just talking about looking forward to the weekend.
We wish for our exams to be over.
We wish that we could be finished getting our degrees.
We wish that we were making more money.
We wish to be able to travel the world.
We wish for a better car.
A better job.
A better house.
A better relationship.
A better life.
Wish. Wish. Wish.
But why? Why can't we count the blessings we have right in front of us at this very moment? If we don't believe that we have something worth living for right now, we will never be truly happy. As a college student, I'm more than guilty of wishing my days away. When I'm drowning in homework, tests, meetings, and deadlines, the stress starts to become so overwhelming that I just want to crawl into my bed and dream of a day when I'm not faced with so many obstacles. I convince myself that life will be so much easier in the future. I say things like, "I can't wait to get married," or "I can't wait to have kids." I wish away the precious moments I have to spend at an incredible university with incredible people.
I've started to realize that I am so much happier when, instead of living for a day some time down the road, I simply remember how lucky I am to be able to get an education. I'm thankful for the stress, because it means that I'll be able to get a job to support myself and live comfortably. Life is constantly reminding me of all the things I have no be thankful for, not tomorrow, not next week, but in this exact moment.
So, enjoy life as it. Make the best of the situations you're presented with. Some of life's greatest blessings are sitting right in front of you. Don't wish them away.
Sheetal Tadiparty
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