If you’re anything like me, one of your favorite activities is to plan out your “future life.” This often involves searching for your dream place of employment, near your dream home in your dream city.

During one of my extensive “research” sessions, I came upon a realization. My intense desire to plan my life down to every minute detail stemmed from my fear of the future. Life takes countless twists and turns, and you can never demand a perfect formula for a perfect future. This entry mostly pertains to seniors, but I hope underclassmen can relate to it as well.

Some of you have settled on what you’re doing next year, and some of you (including myself) have no idea where you’re going to college or what you’re interested in pursuing. Regardless, the future will always be marked with uncertainty because nobody knows what’s in store for them.

In less than five months, we will all be heading our separate ways, but it’s not where we end up that’s going to determine who we are. We can’t control things like college acceptances or rejections, but I believe it’s important to focus on what we can: our ability to handle whatever presents itself in the here and now.

If you have a detailed life-long plan, please be open to change, and trying new opportunities that will continue to present themselves. If you have no idea what you want to do with your life or which college you’ll end up at, I suggest you relax! There’s a long journey ahead of you and as long as you squeeze every day for all it’s worth in the present, I promise there is an excellent future lying ahead. I know from my past experience of living in the present.

I hope I haven’t sounded too preachy, I was simply reflecting on my start of 2015, and the ever-looming end of my high school career and wanted to share my musings. So in summary: you’re going amazing places, and there’s no need to worry about your future. Have dreams but don’t be bound by them. The most important thing is carpe diem!