Today, I made the difficult decision to not go to class. It was an important class. You may be thinking, "That's ridiculous, that is a very easy decision to make!", but let me make something clear; I've been voluntarily living under stress this whole semester and for a good while beforehand. I have made my hopes of accomplishments the bane of my joy. Don't get me wrong; never give up on your dreams, never! But don't try and live only with the vision of the grass on the other side. Doing so will only cause you to live tomorrow but never today and any mistake that comes up will feel like the end of the world. I didn't accomplish what I set out to do this semester, but I did something even better; I didn't let my shortcomings be the end of me.

It's your time; don't let the end of this be the end of you.

For too long, I've lived with the imaginary expectations of my friends, colleagues, and family that I must do great to impress them. What if I failed? Who would want to be in contact with one who can't go above and beyond, much less, complete every task they set out to do? This is probably one of the most toxic mindsets any person can live with. Luckily, the events and experiences life has to offer us gives us a glimpse of what can happen if we fail to grow out of the cycle of this imaginary enslavement. We've become all too familiar with the father living through his son who plays a sport and pushes him beyond the limit, therefore not alleviating the weight of a disappointed childhood, but rather replicating it and passing it on to his son. This is only one of the many examples of how we see people trying to relive the past in their children and day to day real lives. I don't say this to discourage looking up to your parents as role models, but to help you see that this is your life, your time, and your opportunity. You are the only you that can live your life and take the opportunities or tragedies and make something great by yourhands.

Don't just spend your time, invest it.

One of my biggest flaws as an adult is my budgeting. I get my paycheck, I see a book, I get the book, I lose money, lather, rinse, repeat. As valuable and significant as money is, the importance of time greatly outweighs that of something you can get weekly. I look back at my high school years and realize that I missed out on the the best time to try and learn about myself and where I'd like to go after I graduated. Sadly, this is nearly seven years after. I can't get that time back. Whatever memory or event in time that has you stuck in hindsight, just remember that that time is gone. The time I spent playing video games instead of studying is gone. The time I spent reading Harry Potter during class instead of paying attention is gone. The time I spent belly-aching about getting out of high school rather than enjoying the time of youthfulness I had is gone. I wish I knew then that a GPA is easier to build when you don't have to pay for the classes. There are volumes of advice I wish I could go back and give my younger self in hopes of him making better decisions, but that scenario is impossible and that time is gone. But there still is time. It sounds cliche, but go out and invest time in the things and the people that make life worth living. You can't get the time back, so invest it well. Put more time into whatever hobby or talent you have; don't hesitate to jump on the opportunity to go to school and learn to do what you love; take the time to do something worthwhile.

Don't just give your time, share it.

It is always a joy to be able to help a friend out in need, but often it is too easy to lack in following up in spending more time with them. Sure, the person may be glad that they can count on someone to give them a hand, but when you disappear and don't show that you want to just be there with them every now and then, it gives them a feeling of being unwanted. I can say this confidently because I have at times been both the person left in the dark and the person that disappeared. It isn't a good feeling. On that note, if you're living on your own, make it a habit of calling in and asking your parents how they're doing and visit them. I live in regret every day when I get too busy to return my parents' calls and forget to make time for them. Remember that parents, like time, are irreplaceable. Try and make it a point to go and do something with somebody else that is more in their interest to show that you value what they love and, in the end, it will show how much you love them.

Go forth and fail!

Or don't! I'm no guru on the top of a mountain giving life advice, I'm just a regular guy displaying my thoughts on a subject. I started this article saying that I decided to not go to an important class today and I wanted reiterate that I'm not writing this to encourage people to quit their jobs or school priorities. I shared that information to remind you to know that sometimes it is okay to quit something. Choose your battles. I knew that in the long run, I would let the stress of failure eat me alive if I didn't choose to just walk away from this. This is your time. These are your decisions. Don't be afraid to ask more questions, make more mistakes, take more time, read more books, and meet more people. Be a learn-it-all, not a know-it-all.