Dear young(ish) friend,

So you think life is moving faster than you are. Suddenly you take a step back and realize that it’s January, when it feels like just yesterday was October. Well, let me tell you something that’ll really freak you out.

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A few weeks ago, a professor told my class of a new scientific experiment he had heard about, that claimed that time is an abstract concept based on human perception and is directly related to age. Because of this, our lives are half over by the time we are 19. No, I’m not telling you you’re going to die before 40; this is related to how fast time seems to move when you’re older versus how slow time moves when you’re younger. I remember in high school, 90 minute classes dragged, but now, my classes that are almost double that length seem to fly by. It’s scary.

What’s even scarier is that by that standard, my life, and most of my friends’ lives, is more than half over. And I’m only 20. I can honestly tell you that thinking about that alone has forced me to go for what I want, and not just let things happen to me.

Warning: this is totally about to sound like a motivational speech, because it kind of is. Just bear with me. Let me start with a rhetorical question to draw you in: if you knew you only had a few years of life left, would you sit around and just wait for death? I would hope not.

I would hope that you’d summon up all your courage and sense of adventure, and actually attempt to finish your bucket list.

I’d hope that you’d spend every possible second you can living, laughing, and loving with your favorite people, whether that’s your family, your friends, or your dog (furry people count, too).

I would advise you not to stay in a place you hate, whether that be a physical location or a state of being. If you hate your job, why do you go back every morning? There are other jobs. If you hate your body, why aren’t you working to change it? All the doubt in your head is just that: in your head.

I’d want you to not be afraid of making a fool of yourself or trying new things, because really, everything is temporary and the embarrassment can’t last too long.

I’d tell you to follow your dreams, go where you’ve always wanted to go, and do what you’ve always wanted to do.

I’d warn you not to do anything too stupid, though, because life is already short, and you don’t want to make it shorter.

I’d promise you that wonderful experiences are much more valuable than material possessions, and you should invest in your wanderlust.

And mostly, I’d encourage you to be the best self you could possibly be. Because someday, when you’re looking back on your life and your experiences, I don’t want you to be full of regret and unhappiness. I want you to be proud of yourself and everything you’ve done.

I can sum it all up in three words: you do you.

Sincerely,

A fellow fearer of time