As I approach my 21st birthday, I’ve started to reflect on many of the things that I’ve experienced in my life. Whether they were good or bad experiences, I’ve realized that it’s important to enjoy the little things in life.
Oftentimes we tend to overlook the little things that happen in our lives because they feel less significant, but that only leaves us with a tendency to focus on the bad things. When we focus on the bad things, we create more stress and tension within ourselves, thus leading to these internal beliefs that nothing good ever happens to us—which is not the case.
As a college student, I often used to see myself as an overachiever who needed to do the best in everything or else I would feel that I wasn’t good enough. If I received a bad grade, I would let it ruin my day or week, but when I received a good grade, I would barely acknowledge my hard work. I know I am not the only student who does this, but I’ve since learned that I only cause harm to myself when I fail to acknowledge the good that I do or the good that I experience.
The COVID-19 pandemic created many changes around the world, and we lost certain privileges that we once had. It’s time that we start enjoying the little things in our lives that happen to us because at any moment, they could be taken away. Enjoy the fresh air as you walk to class, enjoy speaking to people in person, enjoy the smell of the local cafe you visit, enjoy the laughs you let out as you watch TikToks, and so on!
Even when bad things happen, it’s important to try to change your perspective and create a positive mindset about the situation. We can’t always control the things that happen to us, but we can control how we react to them. This doesn’t mean don’t express your feelings, it just means don’t let your feelings control you.
At the end of the day, we are always stuck with ourselves, so it’s important to be our biggest supporters. Love yourself and all of your experiences in all of the ways that you love others.