Stop Stressing

It has been a chaotic weekend. I woke up early Saturday morning to take the SAT like a lot of other juniors. After at least 6 hours of sitting in the same tiny, crummy desk and coloring in least one-hundred-and-fifty minuscule, perfectly circular bubbles, I finally got to see the other side of that jail and breathe in fresh air and walk around freely with no one around me barking at me, “You only have five minutes to go to the bathroom” and “Don’t leave the room”. I felt liberated. But only for a moment. My brain began to freak out inside-- like usual-- and worry about the tiniest things. My SAT score. The numerous mistakes I had made on every section. Not being able to fully answer all of the questions due to the time constraint. Having my essay fully thought out but not having the time to really do my ideas justice. Then, my mind shifted to the piano exam I am taking later. I don’t know anything. Can’t fully play my pieces or my arpeggios. Can’t sight read on the spot. Can’t write out a melody by ear. Yet I have to take it on Sunday. Another minor thing: I wouldn’t make it in time for the band festival at least forty-five minutes away in Warren because I have piano and only have a twenty-minute window to get from Bloomfield Hills to Warren. It’s impossible. And several million, billion, trillion thoughts bounced from one corner of my brain to another. Simply put, I was slightly freaking out.

As you can tell, I’m a bit of a worrywart. Only a “bit”. I stress too much and too often. But how many of the things I stress about actually matter at the end of the day or a year later or five years later or ten years later or at the end of your life? Probably little of them. So what is the point of stressing about it? There is no point. Stressing only makes put you in a frenzy-- keeping you from living your life fully. You’re so busy worrying that you forget to enjoy being alive. After all, death can come and take you away instantly. Then, you’ll be “helpless” and weak-- unable to escape the powerful and strong grasp of death. So, fully take in life instead of stressing about diminutive things that don’t matter in the grand scheme of the universe.