As we get further into the school year with classes picking up, teams having a slew of games and the workload getting heavier, it’s so easy to fall into a rabbit hole of stress. With this though, it’s important to think about the fact that it’ll always end up okay.
This year, I feel like I’m doing more than I ever have. I have two jobs along with all of my classes and extracurriculars, and it often feels like I don’t have much time for myself. There have been many times where I’ve thought about quitting it all and just trying to be me. However, when I sit down and look at what seems like a never-ending to-do list, I have to remind myself to take each day as it goes and appreciate what I have.
What I do is what makes me me. It’s what makes me feel alive.
In the song “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi, they sing about seizing the day and living life to the fullest. The line “I ain’t gonna live forever, I just want to live while I’m alive,” has become my anthem lately as I’ve tried to embrace all of my commitments. I love what I do, and I wouldn’t change it for anything, but sometimes it’s nice to know that I’m making the right decision.
Each day, I have to lead myself with a reminder that senior year is only so short and that I won’t have these experiences forever. Whether I’m spending hours in the computer lab or working on all of my assignments in my favorite classroom, I take each moment and soak up the fact that it won’t be the same forever.
In just seven short months, I’ll be moving onto college and be faced with issues more complex than being able to make it to all of my different meetings or practices. I’ll be learning how to live life on my own and try to set myself up for success after college. Because of this, it’s made me realize that the time I have left in high school really counts.
Throughout the past three years, I haven’t gone to many events. I like to stay in and hang out with my small group of people. But this year, I’ve already gone to about as many games as I went to in the past three years combined. I’m trying to branch out and take these events for what they are: the opportunity to spend time with my friends and celebrate my school.
Beyond this year, I plan to use Bon Jovi’s words while I’m in college. I want to be the person who gets involved, not for the sake of being busy, but to immerse myself in the culture. I want to go to football games and tailgates. I want to find a group of friends who make the collegiate experience beyond worthwhile.
It’s been a long and winding road, but I’ve gotten to a point where I’m really enjoying what life has to offer, and I don’t want to waste what time I have left in high school. In college, I don’t want to sit idly by while my peers go out and take advantage of all the opportunities we’ll have. I want to use the next four years to branch out and flourish, because it’s my life.
