The Time is Now

"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present."

http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/252/b/e/hold_time_in_your_hands_by_pamba-d5e0zrj.jpg

Time. Wow, what a complicated 4-letter word. I've always been quite interested in the concept of time and I've found it being placed on my heart a lot lately. We might not always be aware of time, but it's always there. It's amazing to me how time works. When you are enjoying something [for example; spending the weekend with a loved one], time seems to travel much quicker while the opposite seems to be true when you are not enjoying something [for example: staring at the clock during an extremely boring lecture]. In the reality of things, time is always constant [traveling at the same rate]. Time can never be re-winded or fast forwarded [sorry, Back to the Future fans]. We never get the same exact Wed, June 10, 2015 at 9:30 pm over again. There are no do-overs. That is why we must make the most of Now.

With that being said, dwelling on the past is unhealthy and prevents present enjoyment. I encourage you to let go of the things from the past that are weighing you down. These may be things that you regret or/ feel guilty about. You have the opportunity today to improve yourself and make amends for a past you may not be proud of.

As a college student, I'm experiencing a point in my life where a lot of things are uncertain. I keep getting told "you have your whole life ahead of you" and have been questioned many, many times, "What are you majoring in?" [you can probably relate to this]. I feel like I am 'running out of time' trying to make decisions along the pathway to my future. This leads to a lot of unnecessary stress, which I'll have enough of in the future. Right now, I just need to enjoy being a college student and everything that entails. I'll never be 20 years old again. I'll never be at this point in my life again and I might as well enjoy it while I can [in my life, that includes studying for tests, writing papers,venting to family about a rough day, not being responsible for paying rent, cooking ramen noodles, washing my blender, working a part-time job & etc]. Each stage of life will bring it's own positives along with the negatives. Even though I may not always express it, I am thankful for the aspects of life that I am currently being given.

Truth be told, I am scared of growing up. My future is ultimately unknown in my own pair of eyes. I don't know where my future income is going to be derived from for one thing. I'm the type of person that likes to be organized and it makes me feel safe to have a plan. I like to be prepared and know what's going to happen. When it comes to my future, I simply do not know. Although growing up can include some fun and exciting aspects [and is something to look forward to even if scary], I think we should slow down and take the time to enjoy/live in the now. Now I'm not saying we shouldn't be prepared for the future. I'm also not telling you to live recklessly. What I am saying is that we should not take advantage of time we are currently given. We should live each day to the fullest and not just rush it to arrive at the 'destination' you're aiming for. With that being said, "stop waiting for Friday, for summer, for someone to fall in love with you, for life. Happiness is achieved when you stop waiting for it and make the most of the moment you are in now."

At times, I am guilty of procrastinating. Don't tell yourself "Oh, I will do this tomorrow." Why not now? If you have the time to do it now, why not get started and do it right away? Chances are, you will be glad you did.

Enjoy the blessing(s) of today:

"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." ~Psalm 118:24 [Glory be to God for each day we are blessed with and wake up to (whether we are ready for the annoying alarm to go off or not)]

"Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered--how fleeting my life is." ~Psalm 39:4 [this is an eye-opener to the fact that our earthly days are limited in number. The Lord wants us to be aware that time is precious and He desires for us to use this time we have been given in a precious manner]

I feel like I'm being slightly redundant here [for the sake of myself strengthening my own 'friendship' with time]. My goal through this blog post is to express what's been on my heart lately.

To conclude this post, I hope that you will choose to use your time wisely. Do not be so quick to rush things [appreciate the Now]. In addition to these things, I hope that you appreciate/give thanks to the present time you have been given.

until next time,
Lauren