Undoubtedly, there are little things in our lives that cause us to feel anxious and stressed. Recently, I watched a short film called “This is Water” that left me questioning how I handle stress in my own life. The film, an excerpt from David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech for the 2005 graduating class at Kenyon College, provided an interesting and refreshing perspective about finding freedom in the very things that cause us to feel stressed.

The video brings up an intriguing point when it discusses how the same people in the supermarket surrounding you, that are rudely talking on the phone, could be just as bored and tired as you are. Many people fail to recognize that the lady obnoxiously yelling at her child in the checkout line may be living with the weight of caring for a husband with bone cancer. In consciously considering the uncharted lives of those around us, we may even come up with the notion that their lives are more monotonous than our own. In order to not let the little stressors in life bother us, we need to pay attention to life through a lens of understanding and open-mindedness. Only then will we find freedom in the very things that cause us to feel stressed.

Another point the film makes pertains to stress in relation to education. The film's view is that the true value of an education is based on the act of simple awareness of life. This realistic perspective urges students (graduating students in particular) to pay attention to the conscious awareness of their own thinking. According to Wallace's speech, “The real value of a real education which has (almost) nothing to do with knowledge and everything to do with simple awareness,” is the basis for seizing the reins of adulthood after college and finding freedom in the banality of everyday life.

While this video is a commencement speech, it also has a powerful lasting effect on underclassmen. Often, society tells us that in order to be successful we must shine academically. Which is partly true. Of course, there are certain majors that are notoriously linked with idea that you'll be successful if you decide to take that route. What if you want to take a risk and major in something you know will be risky to find a job in, or follow your passion, even though the odds are in favor of your failure?

Personally, I refuse to grow up one day and be the person who goes through the motions of life and hates her job. I want to love every second of my life and collect moments – not material possessions. We obsess over the idea of wealth, when in reality our wealth is determined by aspects that are intangible: love, friendship, compassion, strength, growth, health and wisdom. It's easy to lose sight of that.

We invest ourselves in our futures, but I question if it’s worth the breakdowns, sleepless nights and disconnect from my friends. Time is my greatest contender. What will I do when it hits me that years of my life have flown by? How will it feel when one day I touch my face and feel wrinkles? Is the person in my reflection a stranger or has she changed so much that those from her past do not remember her? Will there be someone by her side or will she walk alone? Is her heart full or empty? "This is Water" encourages us to focus less on the stress inherent in everyday life. Specifically, the pressures placed on us by our education. Ultimately encouraging us to live in the present and find freedom in the very things that would typically cause stress in our lives.

You can watch "This is Water" below.