In life, we are always counting on our problems to go away. Many people are motivated by the fact that they can work towards their goals and solve their problems for a better future. While counting on the future for change can be hopeful, there is also beauty in the life you’re living right now that you can learn to appreciate. 

It feels like we are being pushed to prepare for something upcoming. Whether it’s applying for college, looking for our future careers, or anything else in our lives. The future is almost made out to be more important than what’s going on today. 

Senior Rylee Miller stated, “I feel like it can be kind of hard to enjoy your high school life sometimes when you’re constantly being reminded about your future. Especially when you become an upperclassman. It feels like there is so much to prepare for graduating and whatever you do after high school.”

The future may bring excitement, fear, or any other emotion, however, you’re also alive today. At some point, your feelings about today have to be just as important as your feelings about what’s happening in the future, or you’ll never truly be living. 

Sophomore Karley Miller stated, “Some days you have to let yourself forget about what’s coming up in your life, especially if it’s bringing you anxiety or discomfort. Sometimes you have to let yourself enjoy the moment.”

Small things happen everyday that are also worth your attention. Perhaps your younger sibling learned how to ride a bike today, or it’s an old friend’s birthday, maybe it’s just a really nice day outside. All of these things can be so easily overlooked and deemed unimportant if you are so fixated on something that’s happening in the future. 

Junior Sydney Prewitt stated, “I feel like it’s so important to romanticize the little things in your day to day life. Sometimes those small moments are the ones you remember the most, but it can be hard to actually see them happen if you’re so in your head about the future.”

The quality of our lives is almost entirely driven by our emotions, and how we perceive what’s going on around us. If you’re not tuning in to the things happening around you, you likely aren’t actually taking anything in to have any real emotions. Emotions, good or bad, are what really make life interesting and rewarding to live. 

While the future is important, you can’t grow too obsessed with making it perfect. A big component of life is the fact that you really can’t control what it brings. So all you can really do is look around you, and make the best of what you see.