What's Stressing You?
Is it your financial situation? Are problems arising within your family? Has the fear of college graduation increased while despair troubles your days? Are you afraid to move away from home to start your life? Are you growing lonely? Have friendships and relationships gotten tough? Are you still searching for that full-time job? Are you doubting your degree? Are you worried that you haven't found your passion, or what it means to pursue your dreams?
All of these feelings can eat away at your daily life, but if you're going to understand one thing, it's this: You are not alone. I think we've all been in at least one of these circumstances before. Depending on how you look at these stressors, they can either have a lasting negative or positive impact on the way you deal with pressure, confrontation, deadlines, and various encounters in your day to day life. The unfortunate part is that stress and anxiety naturally filter into our lives, unexplainable and often without an evident cause.
The American lifestyle can bring about many expectations of what daily life should consist of, and how we should act in various situations. One of these being that as human beings, we should be taking every opportunity we possibly can. We've all thought this way before, but the truth is, committing yourself to too many social gatherings, trying to be great at everything you do, and devoting yourself to an excessive amount of friendships, will only bring about temporary happiness and fleeting contentment. What we should understand is that trying to reach our full potential in these areas is purely exhausting and just mediocre. Getting caught up in this kind of go-go-go lifestyle fogs up our more important personal vision.
We forget how to enjoy simple things, and more unfortunately what those simple things consist of and what they can bring us. My personal outlets consist of nature and the outdoors, and creative art. The world is for our exploration and to live a life in your own personal bubble of comfort is truly a waste. Our spirits need to be colored with experiences, both good and bad. I find that exploration, expression, and creativity are some of the most important parts of life. They bring us out of our comfort zones, present us with unfamiliar experiences, and sometimes when we're lucky, they push us to grow stronger, more equipped, and more confident to live a momentous, substantial life.
Music, painting, sketching, writing, creative expression, surfing, hiking, camping, and traveling. This is what I have come to know while growing up. These acts have ways of healing and often times save me from unneeded nuisances and stress, sparing me expectations from institutions, bosses, friends, and family members. It is such a simple part of my life, and who I am, yet it brings the most contentment and ease into my life.
I encourage you to find that in life. Whether it's working out, reading, mediation, playing sports, fashion, photography, writing, or making music, there are things out there that will provide your life with so much clarity and beauty. Don't take the simple things for granted, don't let the world make you hard, don't doubt yourself or your ideas, hold your morals and values close, find an outlet. There's much more to gain from practicing gratitude, employing mindfulness, and creative expression than there is a 9-5 workday, mediocre friendships, and a "comfort zone."
