For all of the moments you find yourself focusing on the “what if,” I ask you to pull yourself back and be present. It’s so easy to look into the future, to be afraid of events that haven’t happened or that may not even happen, to find yourself lost in a dark abyss of worry and hopelessness because you’re in a tough spot.

Teens, 20-somethings, 30-somethings, 40-somethings and so on…nobody is exempt from wanting to know what happens next. But that’s where our mistakes lie; our rapidly growing, fast-paced, convenience targeted way of life has caused us to stop living and loving at the moment. Instead, it’s easier to lie to ourselves and say “I don’t have time for this.”

If we could gently remind ourselves of something, maybe we’d all have a better chance of remembering to breathe right now, instead of counting the next thousand inhale and exhale moments we have to take next week or next month, or even next year; Stop trying to fast forward.

Yes, making every situation move a little quicker is convenient. Whether it be your career, where you live, your relationships. Don’t force these things to move so quickly you risk destroying it or missing out on all of the moments that make slow motion so worth it. I urge you to smile at your job even when you’re exhausted, find time to put your bare legs up in the stuffy kitchen in the summer and let the condensation from your iced coffee drip quietly. Kiss your partner slowly and as deeply as possible, and keep faith there will be time to grow even stronger together than you are now.

Close your eyes and breathe in the now. Don’t you dare compare yourself to the social media world, it’s a scam. Remember that nobody talks about what’s bad in their lives when they have an audience, it’s much easier to be admired than pitied. You will have all of the good things you want in life when you take your time. Keep crawling forward even if it scares you, but don’t run. You are so young, go to school when you’re in your late 30s and love the younger people in your class because they remind you of yourself when you were that age. Be excited you’re marrying the love of your life in your mid-40s, or starting your own business because working under others just isn’t what you want.