We all have friends who constantly remind us about their childhood successes: scoring the winning touchdown to win the State Championship, winning the third grade spelling bee by spelling the word “expectation”, or becoming the valedictorian of their high school or college class. These conversations always seem to come up with particular friends and those friends remind us about how some successes did not come until our adult life.
After graduation, the playing field is leveled. No longer does it matter how many yards you rushed in the game on Friday or how long you studied to get the A on the test. What matters is how you contribute to the company you work for, how you love those who love you, and how you smile at someone to make their day a little bit better. There are hundreds of thousands of valedictorians working in the world. They are doctors, lawyers, accountants, professional bloggers, and stay at home parents now. Those people we were so envious of are living on the same level that we all are living. We all have our contributions to our job, family, friends, and community and no longer does it matter if we are wearing the letterman jacket, the jersey, or the thick glasses to make us look smarter.
What really matters is how we choose to live. After all, we are all living life by the same rules. We all have to go to work, pay our bills, and love our loved ones. So, will you continue to live in the “good ole days” or will you choose to make the most out of your current life and plan for the future?
“Living in the moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means living your life consciously, aware that each moment you breathe is a gift.”?-Oprah Winfrey
Adam R Glendye MAMFT, LAPC