Hannah U.
Photography by Luther Bells
If you’re reading this, try not to worry about things that haven’t happened.
For as long as I can remember, my mom has told me that exact message, and I could
never seem to get it into my head.
Anxiety is real, and as someone who struggles with it, I felt like I could never stop
worrying about the hypotheticals of my future. I worried about making the wrong
decision, disappointing the people I love, falling behind, or not becoming the person I
wanted to be. Sometimes, I spent so much time preparing for everything that could
possibly go wrong that I forgot to experience what was actually happening.
It has taken me a while to get here, but I have started to shift my worries about what’s
ahead into excitement. I am learning that uncertainty does not always mean something
bad is waiting for me. Sometimes, it means that there is room for something awesome
that I could not have planned for myself.
As a senior, this is the first time in my life that I truly do not know what is coming next,
and it is terrifying.
But it is also extremely exciting. Where will I be? Who will I meet? Will I be doing
something I love? I do not know the answers yet, and for once, I am trying to let that be
okay.
If you are also anxious about the future, I hope you remember that you do not have to
figure everything out at once. Or, anything out at all right now. Your life is not ruined
because you do not have a perfect plan. You are allowed to change your mind, take a
different path, and discover new things about yourself along the way.
The future is not something you have to solve today. It is something you get to meet,
one day at a time. So take a breath, stay present, and try not to worry about things that
haven’t happened.
Hannah U., Clemson University
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