As I stood on top of Mount Lafayette in New Hampshire last weekend, I felt more at peace than I ever have. I think it’s because in that moment I realized just how vastly beautiful this life is. It was in that moment, sitting on top of the world that it was validated that there are more important things than the stresses of day-to-day living. Homework, exams, drama with friends, all of those problems seemed so small from this view. I want to share my story and hopefully inspire you to let go a little bit, take a deep breath, and say thank you to this life that we’ve been given. Sound good?
Photo courtesy of Emily Gass
Let me start by explaining a little bit about myself. In high school, I studied all day, thinking that I could never do enough to prepare. I stressed out over the littlest assignments and would feel horrible if I got even an A- (I know, I was that person). I was completely consumed by schoolwork, and it manifested itself into every area of my life. I remember so vividly my sixteenth birthday, not because I was celebrating with my friends and family, but because I was studying for an algebra exam. I think you get the point.
Over the past couple of months leading into and starting college, I have been working on letting go of what I can’t control, and instead, using that energy to focus on things that make me truly happy. This doesn’t mean that I’ve dropped everything without a care, or that I don’t study and get stressed like every college student does. But it means that I do what I can without compromising my mental health. I study now for a quarter of the time that I used to. I prioritize my happiness over late-night cram sessions. If I get a bad grade, I make small changes to improve without panicking and letting it ruin my day. I’m spending more time outside, writing, reading, and hanging out with friends. I’ve walked the path of complete and utter stress, and I am no longer on it anymore. And that feels really good!
Photo courtesy of Emily Gass
Back to that mountain I mentioned earlier. When I reached the first peak on our excursion, I truly realized that I was doing the right thing. Because as I looked out into a view that was so overwhelmingly beautiful, I understood just a little bit more about what is important in my life. It is not my grades, my social media following, my paycheck, or lack thereof. It is my happiness. It is forgiving myself, it is gratitude, it is being outside. It is challenging myself, it is getting involved, it is trying new things. It is climbing up a really tall mountain with a group of people I just met. It is making memories that I’ll want to remember for the rest of my life.
Photo courtesy of Emily Gass
And with that, I want to give you permission, and moreover, inspiration, to climb a mountain sometime soon. Maybe not a literal one. Maybe not a big one. But do something for yourself that aligns with what is most important to you. Do something for yourself that gives you a little bit of a different perspective. Allow yourself to see the bigger picture. Because this life is far too beautiful to not experience all of it.
Cover photo from newengland.com