We go through life with enough stress from work or school or relationships, and then we add more stress by overthinking the smallest little details. Why is he taking this long to answer? What does his reply mean? Why did she give me that look? Does she really like this top or is she just being nice? But I’m here to tell you why it’s so important to let them go.

You have so much ahead of you to look forward to, but there’s so much to focus on in the present. Don’t stress about what may happen tomorrow or next week or next month. Focus on what’s happening now. Focus on the sunshine and the warm air. Focus on the sound of the thunder at night. Focus on the friends you have now. Don’t concern yourself with negativity. You have the chance to be so bright and happy, but you’ll drag yourself down if you worry about the little things.

There are so many important things to really worry about. If you sit back and look at the small issues you may be dealing with in the moment, you’ll see that they don’t have a giant, worldly impact. You’ll see that their importance is almost non-existent. I’m not saying that your worries don’t matter at all, but you can’t focus your whole mood and emotional state on them. Chin up, and keep moving.

So don’t worry about if he texts you back or what her comments really mean. Chances are you’re over thinking it. If you feel upset about something, figure out a way to move past it. Life is far too short to worry and become deeply invested in things that are so minute. You have so much to look forward to. You have so much to sit back and admire. My advice would be to go for a walk any time you’re stressed. Turn off your phone. Get off of social media and really go out and see the world. All of your little problems will disappear and you will truly realize that the world keeps turning. Beautiful things keep progressing while you’re so wrapped up in your troubles, and you may miss it all.

You have so much to be thankful for and so much to take in. What seems like a huge problem now will seem pointless in a year. So next time you feel completely consumed by something negative, take a step back and think about the vastness of the ocean. It’s so big and unexplored, full of mysteries and uncertainty. It may seem a little scary, but also full of wonder. There’s so much to explore in the ocean, so why focus on one tiny fish? There is so much left to see. I promise you that it will all be okay.