Rarely do I hear something that sticks with me for an extended period of time. I tend to forget most of the advice I’m given, as it typically pertains to a certain situation. There is, however, a piece of advice that I don’t think I will ever forget: The Five Year Rule.
Three years ago, I went on a 30-mile hike across Catalina Island with 20 other teenagers as part of a leadership program. I’m not much of a rugged outdoorsman or wilderness expert, which quickly became clear when, on the first day, I managed to sprain my ankle. By the end of that day, I had also accumulated a number of large blisters on my feet. Despite these setbacks, I continued to hike on, because giving up was not an option. The second day did not get much better as a rash appeared on the back of my legs, looking suspiciously like a deadly skin disease I had seen on the web.
On the third and last day, after almost four hours of hiking up huge mountains only to find more when we got to the top, many of us began to give up hope of ever making it to the end. We were complaining about being tired, thirsty, and hot, when one of the counselors gave us some advice that I remember until this day; If something won’t likely matter in five years, then it doesn’t likely matter now.
Although we tend to dwell on what’s happening to us at the moment, it’s important to always think of the big picture. Whenever I’m upset or angry or confused, I remember this advice. I remember that time moves on and feelings change. Nothing is permanent, and the future holds so many new and exciting things. A couple of blisters won’t matter in five years, but the memories I made on the trip will. I know it’s hard to compare blisters and a sprained ankle to some of the things we go through growing up, but in the end, the actual moments are all equally as insignificant.
Some people will disappoint you, and life won’t always go as planned, but that’s okay. It’s time to make new plans with the people who truly value you. Never regret an experience, because at one point, it was what you wanted, and at another point, it will become a lesson. In five years, you won’t be hung up on the boy who broke your heart or the one bad grade you got on a paper. Instead, you’ll have grown and you’ll have learned, and you’ll be thankful that all of these things happened.
