Dear Youth,
“I’m anxious and nothing can help” – From “Brutal” by Olivia Rodrigo (singer/songwriter)
Probably one of the most relatable lines in any song I’ve heard recently. I’ve noticed since my 16thbirthday I have become more anxious, there are always thousands of thoughts scarring across my mind about the future, expectations, responsibilities, self-doubt, romance, and it’s overwhelming.
Trouble is, you can’t hide forever. Take my driver’s licence for example, I planned to get it on my birthday or a few days after but a few days after turning seventeen I noticed an abrupt shift in people’s expectations and my responsibilities in general. Getting my driver’s licence scared me because it seemed something else on the immeasurable list of things - A levels, Uni, getting a job, you name it - I now had to be conscious of and organise myself. It also cemented the fact that I am getting older which freaked me out too. So I put it off figuring I’d wait since I was already stressed and busy.
Unfortunately, I discovered while putting things off works for a little bit I was actually losing the precious time I wanted to reverse. The factor causing my anxiety was not everything I had to do, it was that I was trying to do everything and all I needed to do was leave the future in the future. Mark Twain states,
“I had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.”
Anxiety (not the medical condition) put simply is the fear of the future. Take me for example, this summer I started stressing about getting a job when, I didn’t need one. I still have a roof over my head, food, clothes, and that sounds ridiculously simplified but it’s true. The money department was already being taken care of by my parents and I was trying to take it into my own hands, which were already full of other responsibilities.
The moral of that story is don’t jump the gun. God has a time for everything, wasting time worrying about what you can’t and don’t need to control now will simply result in you losing time that you still could have been enjoying the little time left in your youth or developing yourself. Plus, the thing you were worrying about usually turns out less difficult when it is approached at the right time because you have experienced enough of life to give you a different perspective and the tools to deal with that challenge. So, leave the future to God’s timing.
“Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” – Matthew 6:34 NIV Bible.
Sincerely,
Your friend :)
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