Chill

I have a friend who's really laid back, and just very "chill" as the kids are calling it these days. I observe as he lives his day to day life with a care-free, positive attitude and for some reason lately I can't seem to help but notice a tinge of jealousy every time he lets something roll off his back or laughs something off. I am not as "chill". Some would say I'm a tad up tight even. I worry. I over think. I get stressed really easily and I'm somewhat of a perfectionist. Sure, there are days when these qualities come in handy, but I think there are a lot of great things I can learn from my very "chill" friend.

I want to live a life where I can let my self relax. I want to be able to let things go and not overreact and just roll with the punches. I think part of living your life well is being able to find that balance. To live your life in a way where you have the right perspective to see what really isn't that big of a deal, and what you shouldn't waste your time worrying about. For me, this concept is really difficult. But as I watch my friend more and more everyday, the more and more I want to model after him. I think it's important to go easy on yourself every once in awhile.

Once not too long ago I was freaking out about a test I had the next day. I've had a ton of extra curricular stuff going on recently, and sometimes I let those stressful situations completely consume me. My very "chill" friend texted me something in the middle of my panic session that really stuck with me.

"You just need to realize that sometimes its better for you as a person, not a student, to get sleep and be happy and not stress as much, rather than get an A on this test"

I really think he might be on to something there. 

Yeah, school and work and every other commitment you may have are important. But I've discovered that equally important is knowing when to put those things aside and not take everything so seriously. I want to take a break from studying to make a friendship bracelet and hang out with my Mom as much as possible. Maybe you'll fail a test every once in awhile, but five years from now thats not the kind of thing you will remember. Looking back you won't think of the bad grades you received or the games you lost or even the most of the good test grades. So next time I have a big test, yeah I will study, but if I don't as much as I need to...well.. maybe its not the end of the world. Maybe taking a break to help a friend or just going to bed won't lead to a total downfall. Maybe those things are actually even more important.