Dear Today,

Take a minute to look around you and take in everything that is going on.  I am sitting on my bed, one of my best friends to my left, another one on the floor by my feet putting away snacks. The Bachelor is on.  This dorm room, though very small, is full of many fond memories.  I have several tabs open on my laptop: study guides, quizlets, emails, etc.  And surprisingly, I don't feel an ounce of stress.  I am very much at peace with my surroundings.  I am not regretting yesterday, and I am not in fear of tomorrow. I am simply living right now.

Living in the "now" is something that I struggle with quite often.  I am always stressed about what's coming next, even if its still weeks ahead. I often get anxiety about my final review that isn't until the end of April.  I also worry about where I'll be in 4 years, if I'll be happy with my degree, etc.  Not only do I fear the future, but I tend to dwell on the past as well.  I overthink the text I just sent, I reminisce on what seem to be "happier" days when I'm stressed out, its just always something! The grass is always greener.

Obviously, worrying gets you nowhere.  I find myself most at peace when I live fully in the present. This is something that can be difficult to do, it takes lots of practice.  You have to train yourself. But once you're able to, I promise you will find yourself so much happier. I cannot do anything about what my professors will assign at 4 p.m. tomorrow afternoon, so why should I spend the next nineteen hours worrying about it? That won't change anything! Instead, I should put all my focus on writing this blog, my thoughts should be nowhere else.  And when I'm finished, I will move on to the next thing and put all my focus there.  Even if you're just lounging on the couch all day, for example, be fully present on that couch! I know it sounds silly, but think about it: if you spend your day stressing about all the things you should be doing, you have wasted a perfectly good lazy day. And we all need those sometimes. :)

At the beginning of this semester, my materials professor (one crazy lady) told us that in order to get the most out of her class all she asked of us was to be fully present in mind, body, and spirit for the hour and fifteen minutes we were with her. So maybe to get the most out of life, you have to apply the same idea to other aspects of it!

This week I challenge you to make every effort to live in the moment.  No matter how much you worry about the past or the future, you cannot change it.  Whenever you find your thoughts cluttered and you are overwhelmed, take a deep breath and focus on this single moment, because that is really all that matters right now.

"Live quietly in the moment and the future will take care of itself"

Have a wonderful week!

Yours Truly,
Pantless Sunday's