Make an effort to live in the moment

It’s cliche, but the most valuable lesson I’m leaving high school with is that living in the moment is key to enjoying life.

Indecisiveness has always been my greatest weakness. I grapple endlessly with choices to determine what will reward me with the most joy and success, and least regret. So, I spent most of my high school career obsessing over the “perfect” variety of classes, extracurriculars and personal choices to make myself look good on paper. Yet, that isn’t what made the past four years the very best of my life – instead, it was chance opportunities, surprising friendships and spontaneous decisions that did.

I’m indecisive because I know that anything can potentially be life-altering. Suffering through AP Chemistry for college credit – rather than dropping the class after a rough first semester – proved to be a critical life lesson in persevering through endless tears. It was character growth and rewarding. But I’m beginning to realize that the moments I chose fun were even more valuable. For instance, my last-minute impulse to complete a JagWire application gave me three years of memories I’ll always cherish. 

It’s at the verge of graduating that I’ve finally accepted how critical a balance between these types of experiences is – a balance between planning, preparing, and living for the future versus just living to enjoy each day. I don’t regret prioritizing school above almost all else in my life, but it’s eye-opening to look back at my high school career and pinpoint the experiences that will always stick with me, like competing at the state debate championship as a timid freshman or traveling to Washington D.C. with journalism despite mountains of homework: the moments where I stepped far outside my comfort zone.

I’ve mastered the art of considering the future and now I’m ready to live in the moment, replace overthinking with some spontaneity and use each day as an opportunity to experience everything that makes life worth living.