I'm in a strange place. I’ve been here before, but this time it seems somehow different. It’s so bizarrely unfamiliar that I don’t quite know how to behave. It’s unnerving to think that I’m having such a difficult time moving on from this setback while I have so much to be thankful for, along with such a bright future to look forward to.

But perhaps that’s my problem. Perhaps I am so fixated on what’s to come that I’m preventing myself from enjoying the present. One cannot fully experience the wonders of the world around himself while concentrating on the future.

Or maybe it’s my past that’s causing me distress. I have a strong tendency towards dwelling on what I should or could have done. I wallow in my woes, drowning in my sorrows until they completely consume me.

They say there’s no time like the present, right? Living in the moment would seem to be considerably more productive than focusing on the past and the future. However, upon further contemplation, doing just that would appear to have prompted me to do so many of the things I now regret.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "We are always getting ready to live but never living."

While I would agree with this statement, I must ask: What about thinking before we act? We are all taught by our elders to think about the possible repercussions of our actions, and to consider them and base our decisions upon them. However, this idea completely contradicts that of Emerson.

Therefore, what am I to do at this crossroads of time? If I concentrate solely on the present, I wonder whether yesterday's actions have completely influenced today's occurrences or whether the two are completely unrelated. Will my tomorrow be based on my today? Or, somewhere, is there someone or something with complete control over all of this, who cruelly delights in watching us fret, worry, ponder, and philosophize about these ideas?

Perhaps I ought to just live. Perhaps I'll remember the past and do my very best to learn from my experiences and mistakes while not dwelling on my regrets. I'll concentrate on the present, enjoying each and every moment to the very fullest. And I'll consider the future and look forward to what it brings, but I won't jump to conclusions. The gift that is the present shall be my central priority.

We'll see what happens, though. You're welcome to come along for the ride.