live THIS day

"The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time." - Abraham Lincoln

I write because it is the only way to organize the insane amount of chaotic thought going through my mind at any given moment, especially lately. The latest whirlwind occurring in my head began this past Wednesday night. One of my very best friends shared the exciting news that she's ENGAGED! After the girly middle school jumpingfest that went on in my kitchen, followed by the hour long play by play and interrogation, I immediately went into stress mode. Engaged?! One of MY best friends? This cannot be happening. There is no way we are old enough to be getting married already. Insanity, pure insanity. I could not be happier for my sweet little bestie, but it got me thinking... the future is such a creeper!

The excitement of this led to this next string of thoughts over the rest of the week... I'll be 21 in a month, I need to turn in my nursing application, turn in already?, what happens if I don't get in?, I need a backup plan, I need to intern this summer, what will I do after I graduate, its March on Tuesday, OMG spring break plans, then it will be my birthday, wow the semester is almost over!, what about finals?, ew...finals, I wonder what nursing finals will be like, I should get my masters, I wonder how long that takes, I could probably graduate with my masters before I'm 27, crazy, 27 is old, I should be married by then, 27? When should I start having kids? Oh no! I'll be almost 30- THIRTYYYYY!....

How the heck do I handle that everyday? I went from thinking "YAY! My very exciting and funfilled 21st birthday is coming up!" to "I'm 30- and old." Wow Gabby, really? What is the focus of your blog? What do you try to remind yourself everyday... LIVE THIS DAY.

THIS one. Not tomorrow, or the next one... THIS one. Yes, the future is coming, with every breath and every stroke of my keyboard I'm entering the future. But as good ole Abe said...it comes ONE day at a time. The future can seem so scary, because it's so easy to condense. It's so easy as a college student to look over a degree plan of a few classes or requirements and say I need X hours until I can graduate. Or if you're like me, living paycheck to paycheck (which could be avoided-because of my forever21 addiction... but that's another story) time flies because you make that grocery list and wait til you get your check then pay bills and tally up your time sheet for the next check and before you know it two pay periods have flown by in the blink of an eye and the bills are due again. It's so easy to watch time fly right past you, especially as you get older and time goes faster. So looking ahead can seem scary, because it seems like it will get here so fast. But what that time sheet and degree plan can't show you, are the growths you make.

Condensing the future basically takes you from where you are now to where you hope to be after a given time. That's great and all when you are setting goals, but if you forget to live day to day, your life will become a meaningless blur before your eyes. Don't wait. Don't let each day slip between your fingers, because you are planning for tomorrow. LIVE TODAY :) Take a walk, paint a picture, keep a journal, run and feel your heart beat! Remind yourself that you are alive. Make memories. Plans are great for keeping you on track, but without the memories there is no life. If you don't live along the way, your life will simply become a string of plans getting you by day by day, basically sucking out the fun. Plans are a good thing in moderation. Too many plans= funsucker! Memories are the marks from the plans you've made that remind you of how you've grown and what you've learned along the way.

Okay, so obviously I'm a little scatterbrained today. But hey, that's Gabby for ya. I'm trying to remind myself that life is what happens when I'm making other plans. It's nice to be organized, but I can't forget to live along the way. I love thinking about what I"m working towards in life, what I want for myself, and where I hope to be one day... but I want to enjoy the life God gave me and let His plan be my plan.

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So future, I know you're close and I'm ready for you, but I think I'll take my time and enjoy the little surprises along the way :) like helping my best friend get ready for one of the most exciting days of her life! Oh the memories to be made between now and then.... I can't wait!

Until next time,

G