When I was in school, I couldn't wait to start university. I scrutinised prospectuses and lurked on The Student Forum. When the time finally came, I didn't enjoy it. I wished my time at university away and eagerly anticipated what came next.  Without realising it, I had rushed through two of the biggest chapters of my life.

We look forward to certain moments and periods of our lives. But when we arrive, rather than savouring the moment, we focus on what lies ahead.  

Dreaming of days to come helps us to forget about the worries of our everyday lives. That's why we're so eager for vacations. We hope to find a moment of solace somewhere in the future. We use our aspirations as the only way forward, like it will solve everything. We race to our next destination, awaiting the point where we allow ourselves to be happy. We brush past milestones, hoping it will all make sense in the end.

We're so eager to get there that we forget that every turn is part of the journey.  Perhaps you can look back and recognise that even the most stressful turns held some kind of magic. Even if you were stuck, even if you were lost or heartbroken, it was meant to happen that way.  Every experience moulded and shaped your character as you kept going. Each decision and event left its mark, helping you to grow. You found clarity and you wrote more of your story. It was a time of becoming.

Back then, you were too caught up in the mundane troubles of life to pay attention to this. Your formulated expectations of what that moment could have been prevented you from seeing it for what it really was. Now that you have some distance from those moments, maybe you can appreciate them more. You might realise your stresses back then didn't take away from the magic. You might not even remember what your worries were.

We see this looking back, but we miss it in the moment because we're too busy looking forward.

We're all in an endless pursuit of something. We're wondering how long it will take to arrive.

But we don't listen to music wishing for the next track. We don't watch movies to get to the credits. We don't have children just so they can grow up and leave us. 

Stories aren't found solely at the end. They exist on every page.

Soon enough, we have to realise the moment has already arrived.  Right now, you're where you once wished yourself to be. Don't wish it away.

💭Made you think

✨ An overthinker's delight

Find The Right People — I've always hated the idea that we should surround ourselves with people who are smarter and more successful than us. I prefer this alternative concept of finding people who are free in ways we're not.  

Embracing My Inner Child — This is one of the most beautiful YouTube channels I've come across. Filled with thoughtful imagery, poetry, and music, you'll feel at peace.

🎬 YouTube updates

I know a lot of people think I've been doing really well with my videos, but in truth, I'm constantly trying to figure out what I want my channel to be. I've taken a break from YouTube over the last 6 weeks to reflect on this and I'm hoping to be back in April with videos that are more joyful (and sustainable) to make. Thank you so much for your patience 🤗

I hope you're having an amazing week and that you feel content with where you are right now.

Love,