Living in the Now with Positivity
By Alexa Silvestri
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” is a question we have all been asked, and the answer continues to evolve as we grow. Maybe you wanted to be a firefighter or a fashion designer or a princess when you were younger. However, as college students, we are now faced with this question more frequently, making stress levels and negative thoughts arise.
Negative attitudes are easy to come by these days. We are constantly surrounded by unsettling words, actions, and individuals. How can we focus on the future when our lives right now are so troubling? I don’t know a perfect answer to this deep question. My solution is also complicated—we must live in the now.
Living in the now is something in our control. The outcomes may not always be something we hoped for, but how we work towards our future is in our power. In a world that is constantly connected, we can say that we are always “in the now” or even “in the know.” However, are we really “in the now” if we are letting anxiety about that next exam, next interview, or next weekend activity control our thoughts?
Looking forward to events can be exciting. But when that forward-thinking turns to anxiety, it can negatively impact your mental health. In the grand scheme of things, that test grade, GPA, or application status will not matter significantly. We can only learn from these events and move forward as better individuals. We have seen over the past few months that life is short and that the world needs more love. Dwelling on moments that we cannot control or on the hopelessness of negatives in our personal lives will not build us up; rather, we are letting the “uncontrollable” win.
Another cliche statement that we hear is, “Everything happens for a reason.” I have found this statement to be true in my life. We may never know what that reason is, but there is always something that sparks a chain of events to occur, whether good or bad. Some things in our lives are predetermined, meaning that we can not control them no matter how hard we try. Instead of dwelling on those things we cannot control, we should focus on the tasks and objects that we have a say in. For example, we can control how we approach problems, what we want the mood of our day to be, and how we seek happiness. Whether that means making more time in your schedule to exercise or realizing you need to set your work aside and have a mental health day, we have strength to slightly alter any outcome. It all depends on your mindset, goals, and attitudes.
We are told, “You do not have to know what you want to be right now.” This statement holds true. We truly do not know what will happen next in any event or time period. The best thing we can do is take care of ourselves in the meantime, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Actively seeking out positivity will benefit you and those around you. Strength, happiness, and love stems from the power of positive thinking and positive actions. Who knows? You may even have the power to influence the outcome of the next event in your life.
