College can be a stressful time for everyone at times and sometimes all the time. It can be a really negative experience if you’re not careful about how you approach the day to day rush of assignments, work and social life that every college student juggles. It comes down to people only focusing on the hard, negative things going on in their lives and not the good things.
As cliche as it may sound, it is all about the little things. Yes, groans are expected. Some people get so focused on the far future that they forget to enjoy the present. Yes, you may have three essays due this week, a presentation or two coming up next week and several other things that life is throwing your way, but you just need to slow down and focus on the good things that are going on. The struggle for people is that they just can’t tear themselves away from what they see and an upcoming doom.
Instead of focusing on that doom, focus on what makes you happy, even if it is as small as getting half an hour of free time or getting the time to eat some ramen between classes. Those big things that you get so caught up in are important and you should focus on them, but that shouldn’t consume your entire being.
You need to focus on what makes you happy and make time every day even if it is just a little bit, even if it is just your favorite song, even if it is smiling at someone on your way to class and getting a smile back.
If you cannot enjoy these simple things, you will never be truly happy. If you think life gets less busy after you leave college, you’re wrong. You will continue to be busy long after you graduate. Learning to enjoy these simple things will take you far and make your life much happier overall. You are going to have deadlines, projects, heavy weeks and more to deal with. Don’t make it harder on yourself.
At the end of the day, I don’t want to see you struggle every day of your life and I am sure you do not want that to happen either. You do not want or deserve to be unhappy every day of your long life, promise me. It is up to you to focus on what matters, which is being happy.
The meaning of life is finding what makes you happy, or at least being as happy as you can always be. Yes, grades matter and yes making enough money to live comfortably matters, but that does not mean you should only focus on those things. They are possible to achieve while still focusing on what makes you happy.
Do not suffer needlessly. Be happy. For yourself and for the sake of a happy life.
