Living In The Moment
When I was growing up I had dreams of becoming a famous singer or novelist. As these dreams flourished in my young mind I was encouraged to be myself and find what interested me. I can see myself now, just seven years old writing songs in my glitter covered notebook about finding the perfect guy and starting a “girl revolution”. It was a magical time, but as I grew up my interests grew and I found myself falling in love with the art of filmmaking and photography. As I get older, I still find myself singing as loud as I can whenever I am alone in the house. Now nearly 16 years old, permit in hand, and the whole world in front of me. How come I have to choose what I want to do with the rest of my life now?
I know I am not the only one who has to deal with this, but as I watch the upperclassmen begin to apply to colleges and start thinking about majors I ponder on this crazy and absurd idea…
Not going to college after I graduate.
I realize how this will affect my future and I haven’t even told my family yet, but I want to change the stigma that applies to “free spirits”. I watch movies like “Dazed and Confused” and “The Virgin Suicides” and I feel like I am wasting my high school years trying to figure out what I will do when I leave high school. Spending my days thinking about every possible future I could have until my brain hurts. This isn’t healthy and is a horrible way to live a life. I need to get out of my rut and the only way I can see myself doing that is by just living in the moment, which is easier said than done.
My plan to becoming a free spirit is actually quite simple, as long as you follow these five steps…
Step 1: Smile as often as possible
As long as you are having fun, you are truly living. Go bowling with some friends, roller-skate on a Saturday night, and enjoy cracking jokes at your local coffee shop with that girl from geometry. Make each moment a snapshot that you will remember when you’re old and grey.
Step 2: Don’t live in the past
As much as I admire the past, it’s not healthy to always live in the past. I have a tendency to forget what time period I’m in when watching “Almost Famous” or when I look at the glow from my lava lamp on my led zeppelin poster but my goal for 2015 is to start incorporating the beauty of the past and putting it into projects that I do today that will be seen tomorrow.
Step 3: Go outside!
More often than not, when I come home from school I will grab a snack, put in a vhs and forget about the world. Which is nice and can be a good thing but I think as a generation we all need to get outdoors more. It will improve your overall health and mind.
Step 4: Call your friends instead of text them
This might seem a bit unnecessary but honestly I feel that it will make your life much happier and bring some awesome vibes. The art of calling your friends has somewhat died. When you have to wait for a response…there is a sense of connection that is lost. Also “lol” can never capture the joy that comes from hearing your best pal laugh. Next time you have something hilarious to tell your friend, call them up.
Step 5: Keep a journal
I am one along with so many girls who have an issue with keeping diaries. We start one, write a few pages but then throw it away because we are unhappy with it. This is because we want to have this idealistic diary where we talk about our daily adventures in a witty manor. Then we are faced with the fact that our lives will never be like those diaries we are inspired by. That doesn’t mean that there is nothing to write about. We all need to make our own adventures no matter how small. We control our own destiny. Also remember, a journal is for you alone. Don’t fixate on the esthetics so much just record your life and make each day special.
Overall, my point that I want to get at is that this year we all need to take control of our lives and see things in a new light. Also, to stop thinking about the future so much. Don’t forget that it is okay to dream about what you will do when you are faced with this sick sad world, but as the great Gloria Steinem once said, “Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” Dream your biggest dream…while still remembering to live in the moment.
