We all have those weeks we just don’t want to deal with. You have 3 tests, a paper due, and that stack of laundry you have sitting on your floor just isn’t going to get done.
I know what you’re probably thinking (because I’ve thought it lots of times)—you can’t wait for Friday afternoon to roll around and your weekend to start. There’s nothing wrong with looking forward to a couple restful and fun days after a stressful week. After all, who doesn’t love the weekend to relax and have a little fun? But it’s easy to get caught up in the mentality of waiting.
“After this week is over—that’s when I’ll be happy. After I take this test—then I’ll be in a good mood. After I go home for break—then I can rest. After I get this internship—then I’ll stop worrying.”
Nobody’s guiltier of this mentality than I am and I’ve realized it’s so problematic in life. When does the waiting end? When am I finally going to be happy with where I am in my life? No matter what stage of your life you’re in, there’s always going to be something you’re not satisfied with. Sometimes it feels like as soon as one of our problems is over, another one is right around the corner. It’s easy to set a timeline on your happiness based on what’s going on in your life, but waiting to be happy is an ongoing cycle that will never end.
Think about it this way—what if, instead of waiting for things to happen to you, you went out and made them happen? It can be scary to have this mindset because it gives you responsibility. You’re responsible for how you act and respond to situations in your life instead of passively sitting by and waiting for good things to happen to you. I really do believe that sometimes we’re blessed with things in our life completely outside of our control, but I also think we have so much more control over our situations in life than we even realize. It’s time to take the reins on your happiness and fulfillment and, rather than let events dictate your happiness, make your own happiness wherever you are in life.
College is crazy. It can be stressful and chaotic day-to-day as we balance our relationships, schoolwork, extracurriculars, planning for the future—the list goes on and on. But in the end, we only get four years of this amazing stage in our lives. Who wants to look back on college and remember all the times they wished the week would end sooner?
There are no conditions to your happiness. So take a little time each day to appreciate where you’re at. We will never be as young as we are right now. Why waste time wishing we could speed up life?
So don’t be afraid to laugh, cry, take chances, and do things that scare you. These are the things you’ll remember when you look back on these years. Take advantage of all the blessings in your life just as they are now, without wishing for more. Most of all, love each day as the gift that it is—don’t spend every week waiting for the weekend.
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