Especially in a school like ours, students often fall victim to a future-oriented mindset. We are in a constant state of waiting for the future – a future that we imagine to be more joyful, more carefree and in some way brighter than the present. Sophomores imagine finally getting the chance to sit on the main quad or go off campus for lunch. While deep in the trenches of junior year finals season, minds drift to the promise of a carefree summer. When college applications seem never-ending, the thought of the second semester burns brightly in seniors’ minds
It is important to look forward to all the good things that lie ahead, but it becomes detrimental when we start to view the majority of the high school experience as a prelude, an inconvenient obligation on the path to graduation. When that one excruciating class is over, when you get that leadership position, when summer comes, when you are admitted to college – that’s when life will really begin. We live in these fantasy lands in our heads, framing it to ourselves as a type of motivation, because it is easier than living in the present.
Yet, when the moments we spend so much energy imagining finally arrive, we are never as satisfied as we imagined. Achievements that we dreamed of become just another bland item on a resume, and exhilarating moments fade to memories that aren’t given a second thought. There is always another finish line to reach for. One explanation for this mindset is hedonic adaptation, which is the psychological tendency to return to a stable level of happiness following extreme positive or negative life changes. In short, major events or changes typically have only a temporary effect on a person’s emotional state. We are wired to continually look towards the next goal- post, and that goalpost is always moving. There will always be another tunnel to pass through. There will always be another green light across the bay.
This tendency to live in the future rather than the present is something students at the school should actively fight against. When we constantly orient our minds to be forward-thinking, life becomes a constant stream of preparation rather than actual experiences. Deferring joy to some utopian time to come only results in eventual regret and a harder time transitioning to new life stages. Inevitably, you will end up looking back with remorse for not appreciating what you had when you had it.
As the year draws to a close, many seniors are currently grappling with reflection on their high school experiences. Even moments that felt unredeemable at the time become strangely nostalgic when we know we’ll never experience them again, and we end up wishing we had been more present. Simple daily routines like eating lunch on the quad, driving home along the route that you could do with your eyes closed or walking your dog around the block might not feel exciting, but at some point, those will become treasured memories. The end comes much sooner than you expect. Soak it in.
