“You only live once” is such a cliché, millennial phrase. It is usually used as an excuse for doing something outrageous to justify the doubts that subconsciously fill your mind. As cliché as it is, it is so true. You only get one life, no do- overs.

In our own lives, we have a hard time picturing our situation as anything different than what it is in our own eyes. We are so used to our stories and while we have been flipping through the pages, we forget that sometimes we are allowed to leave certain chapters unfinished. In a society that is all about finishing tasks, moving forward, being better, and so on, we look past the idea that sometimes we need to stop and look at our lives. We can’t stop time, but we need to be reminded of how quickly life moves and that we only get one. There are no do-overs.

I, personally, am guilty of letting things pass me and telling myself, “Maybe next time.” Though this is an optimistic way to handle feats, it is also not realistically applicable to life itself.

This week, my friend and I were walking back form the library, talking about how crazy it is that she will be graduating at the end of the year. We talked about her moving onto a job, working, finding a husband, and other futuristic dreams. As we were envisioning what the future might hold, thinking it would be better than college, we realized that this is it. Her college experience will be over, and while that is exciting, it is also terrifying. In that moment, I realized that right now counts for just as much of my life as the future will. We were so overwhelmed with the future thoughts of what our lives may hold, we were looking straight past what we are holding right now.

Right now counts.

There are no do-overs to life, no ways to fix how you spend a day.

You can’t place your life- worth in the future. You can’t depend on your happiness coming from the days you are married with kids and get to come home from work to bliss. You can be happy right now. You need to be happy right now. How you are spending each day, who you are with, and who you give the limited time you have on this earth to, are all overwhelming factors. One day we are all going to look back and wonder why we were so fixed on our future- selves instead of loving who we are and where we are right now. We will realize how much time was wasted trying to predict how life would be, missing out on current opportunities for future dreams. We will realize how much of our youth was spent trying to be adults, and that we will never go back to those days and “do it over.”

Don’t be one of those people.

Live everyday knowing that this is the only day of your life and that right now matters. Who you are today matters. Don’t wait until it’s too late to take care of yourself, to take responsibility of your actions, and to be happy. Right now is a great time to be happy. Forgive the past, and embrace the present. Everything works out how it should, regardless of how much you try to dictate it. Don’t waste any days, whether they move painfully slow or exhaustingly fast, they are a part of your life. Every day counts, every day matters. You only get one life, make it a good one.