Samantha Chaffin
Editor-in-Chief
Often referred to as the “now” generation largely on the basis of the average young person’s need for instant gratification, the truth is that many of today’s young people are actually living anywhere but the here and now.
While instant gratification is something I and many of my peers can often relate to, the idea of being a member of the “now” generation just doesn’t seem fitting.
Amidst my senior year of my undergraduate college career, I find it hard to stop thinking about “before” and “then,” let alone “soon” and “when.”
We are constantly bombarded with various forms of media messages that tell us to remember the past, often causing many to get stuck in a reminiscent cycle that is often all but inescapable.
Meanwhile, the college atmosphere in itself puts students in a mindset where constantly looking ahead is a necessity. From looking ahead to the next due date, the next class, the next semester or the next step to graduation and a career path, the planning and forethought never ends.
At the very least, all of this reminiscing combined with endless pre-emptive thinking and planning make it difficult to fully focus on the here and now.
Don’t get me wrong, reflection and planning for the future are both good and necessary parts of life, but if you’re constantly thinking about your last move or your next move, then what’s the point of your current one?
The fact of the matter is that oftentimes, the culture we live in simply doesn’t leave much room for living in the present and enjoying what we have or what we’re doing now.
A focus on your past mistakes or achievements comes into play regarding your admission into college, your ability to get a job, your emotional state and more—not to mention, many of us simply dwell on our mistakes or shortcomings as a matter of habit and part of our personality.
From planning schedules and classes in order to graduate, to working to complete internships and gain experience in order to later achieve a greater position, everything done in college is done with a future goal in mind.
I often find myself sitting down to enjoy a movie or start working on a project or assignment only to be flooded with worry about the next assignments due over the next few weeks, the next bill to pay, the schedule I need to plan, or any of the other hundred things coming up in the near future that I need to accomplish.
Of course this is all part of the plan. It is absolutely true that everything you do should be with your end goal in mind; however, that doesn’t mean that everything you do shouldn’t be done right and done consciously.
It’s so inexpressibly important to appreciate each moment and truly live for today. Enjoy your life now—not then, and not later.
Logic dictates that if you’re always waiting for the next thing to make you happy, you’ll never be happy. In the same way, if you aren’t living in the present throughout your life, then that begs the question… are you truly living, or just planning and remembering?
