There are many times in my life that I feel that I am simply on a stop for more incredible things ahead. Not many almost 27-year-olds believe that they are “set” in life; however, that truth gets distorted in my life. What grinds my gears more than anything is ruminating on half-truths and other lies that do not spell out the complete trajectory of where my life is heading. Often, living in this uncertainty leads me to try to control things on my own accord and desire to move past the mundane.
My counselor recently reminded me that our lives are not about the destination but rather the journey that it takes to reach said destinations. This is completely the truth. Once we reach certain plateaus that we were hoping to accomplish in life, the reality is that the feeling of satisfaction often lasts for a minimal amount of time even though we have perceived that situation as life-changing.
Take, for example, last week’s super bowl. 53 Los Angeles players and dozens of coaches and team personnel completed the long journey of winning the super bowl. Although they celebrate for several days, many of these individuals quickly shift their gears as their mind changes to focus on winning another championship the following year. Although the immediate 48 hours are incredible, I am sure that many of these players are now realizing that winning that super bowl does not bring life-changing satisfaction to their lives.
With this in mind, I am challenging myself to begin living my life more in the present, knowing that my decisions today are just as valuable as the decisions I will make once I reach said goals. It is very easy to try to satisfy these life-long desires in the immediate. However, since I know the sun will almost assuredly come up tomorrow just as it did today, I know that my overall value does not change regardless of my circumstances, and I am thankful for that.
So how does that affect my life? Well, I am beginning to live today as if it is the most important day of my life. I am trying not to focus on letting future personal desires dictate the common decisions I make in today’s duties. Although it is essential to plan ahead in many regards, stressing over which gym I am going to work out in will not affect my desired public speaking career. That example might be slightly facetious, but you see where I am going with that point.
I’d encourage you to think about your life and think about how to limit your own stress knowing that the decisions you make today are just as important as tomorrow. I’d hope through this exercise you’d see how attempting to control your entire current life situation is simply impossible to do. Therefore, be thankful for what you do have and know that you have an impact on the world as much today as you do the next.
Minds of Meaning 