Recently I read the phrase get 'caught in the rain.' Usually, it means exactly what it says it means to go out and enjoy the rain but this last time I read it, the idea sparked something inside of me, this idea. This idea that maybe now was the time that I could be more than I previously thought I could. The image of standing in the rain surrounded by nature’s power and beauty. That image stuck in my head and painted a picture so real that I couldn’t shake the feeling it gave me. It reminded me that there’s beauty and hope in the smallest of things, but you can only see them there if you’re willing to look.

Usually those words “get caught in the rain” don’t mean much to me, but in that instant, those words meant: Remember the moment. Remember the moments where you felt most alive. The moments where you were so happy you were sad because you weren’t sure you’d ever be that happy again.

It made me realize that if what you are doing can’t help you grow, don’t do it. If your attitude is bringing you down, change it. If your mindset isn’t that you can do anything you want, then reevaluate why you think you can’t. If you’re stuck and you can’t get out, then learn to ask for help. If you stumble and fall, don’t spend time on the ground but get back up.

Now isn’t the time to waste time. It’s the time to capture the precious moments and create real, lasting memories. Now is the time to be productive and learn how to be more than you ever thought possible. It’s time to learn how to roll with the punches and be that wild spirit you always wanted to be. It’s time to let go of the things that hold you down and find people who can lift you up.

It made me think that now is not the time to spend your days worrying about what tomorrow holds but to enjoy the night and the mystery in it. That now isn’t the time to have a bad attitude moaning over problems that can’t be solved and things that can’t be fixed. Now shouldn’t be wasted on mundane tasks but rather worth wild, life changing ones.

It’s time to forgive and forget even when it feels like you can’t. It’s the time to move on from whatever is hurting you and to let go. Say goodbye to grudges and hurt feelings because all they’ll ever do is weigh you down. It’s time to remember who you are and who you want to be. It’s time to go on adventures and stop being so scared to live.

When I say now is the time, I’m not talking about for college students or high school students or just young adults who are still trying to figure out this thin called life. No, I’m talking about, if you’re reading this, now is the time for you. Whatever your age or your situation, the time is now. It’s time to get caught in the rain.