Darien B.
Photography by Alejo Mejia-Tejada
If you’re reading this, you control today.
As a generation that’s embarking on adulthood, I can confidently say, I feel most of us are stressing about what our lives will look like in the near future. As a junior well into my second semester, I know that I spend so much time on thinking about my life after college. Our thoughts are always consumed with tomorrow, next week’s test, next year’s application processes. In this way of thinking, we neglect our present. We neglect the beauty and the opportunities of today.
Oftentimes we crave control and answers to everything around us. I am writing to tell you that you control today. Everyday, you have the opportunity to enjoy the day how you see fit. How many times have you looked back on past experiences and wished you enjoyed them just a little more?
I, personally, used to have a really bad habit of ruining my good moments with stressful thoughts, that 9 times out of 10 didn’t even pertain to my future circumstances. For example, before I transferred to Clemson, I attended an institution in Iowa. Being from Georgia, it was a huge culture shock, amongst a few other scenarios that made this environment unfavorable for me. I spent most of my time there miserable and wishing time would pass so I could go home. While at my old school, I made a few dear friends that I know will stick with me forever. I realized about seven months into the school year, I wasn’t fully enjoying them because I was fixated on the old scenarios, out of my control, that made school so unenjoyable for me. I knew I lived far from them and needed to cherish every moment I had because they were what made me happy. Little by little, each day, I reminded myself of the enjoyable, controllable moments of my days. Then,Iowa started to not seem so bad.
Through affirming positivity and being present, I broke this cycle of ruining my good moments and so can you. I began to direct my thoughts to fixate on the little, joyful things around me. All of those small wins you barely celebrate, rejoice about them. Even the moments that didn’t go so great, you can’t go back but you can always move forward because today will soon be yesterday, and yesterday will soon be a past memory you wish you could relive. Focus on the love and pains of today because that’s what living is about. Thrive in the opportunities that brought you to now.
The more present you become in living each day, the better your future self will feel about the life you’ve already been living. That test didn’t go as planned? That’s okay, it’s out of your control now, think about how you can turn today around. There are 24 hours in a day, utilize them and know that bad moments do not have to create bad days.
Live in your present. Appreciate all wins big and small. You control what’s set in front of you today.
Darien B., Clemson University
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