It’s hard to feel that you aren't wasting your potential. I personally have always thought I could do anything I set my mind to. After all, anything is possible. But what happens when some things feel too out of reach?

The fact of the matter is, you CAN do anything you set your mind to. Of course, there are obstacles, disadvantages, and challenges, but we as humans have free will. If you truly want something, you can get it. However, it still feels like we are running out of time at a mere 16 years old. A common conversation among students is a shared sense of impending doom. A communal feeling that we are falling behind and will not be successful in the future. The amount of opportunity available to students on the North Shore is unmatched, but so incredibly daunting. With the rigor of classes, extensive extracurricular activities, parents telling kids they need job experience, and the ticking clock of the ACT all leading to college and one's future, teens feel like an oversaturated sponge. Too many resources, too little time. Not to mention the normalization of dopamine addiction from our phones and social media heavily damaging our mental health and attention spans. In fact, right at this moment, my AP Lang table is talking about how frustrated and nervous they are for the ACT. During AP Biology, my table discussed which APs they took and which tests they are “cooked for.” Frankly, it’s gotten ridiculous how every single conversation at school is centered around either shared anxieties about exams or attempts at academically one-upping each other.

Despite these challenges, I urge you to take a step back. First and foremost, the people around you are lying. Maybe not intentionally, but they are definitely presenting themselves as much more accomplished and academic than they are. But who can blame them? After all, we all want to seem smarter and higher-achieving than we are. In the wise words of everyone ever: “fake it till you make it.” It’s natural to pretend you are better than you are, and everyone ever is right. Knowing this fact and acknowledging that everyone is lying to you, it’s vital to realize you aren’t behind. In fact, you are so far ahead you can barely even see where you started.

From ages 5–13, we are told how glamorous, cool, and fun being a teenager is. Almost every movie about teenagers targeted to a younger audience romanticizes the high school years. High School Musical, for example, describes the high school years as exciting relationships, playing basketball, and going to a resort where you “spend days in your chaise.” Sometimes, sure, it can be fun having a bigger social circle, going to parties, and having a license. However, all of this can be heavily overshadowed by the stress of college, testing, and the whirlwind of drama and rumors. Now is a great time to realize all you have gained and all you have accomplished so far. Sure, this can include grades and awards, but I mostly mean within yourself. How many people are you actually friends with from middle school, and how many new friendships have you gained since then? How many people's lives have you impacted that you don’t even know about? If you talked to your 8th-grade self right now, how many times would they say they can’t wait to be like you? While numbers like test scores and grades seem like they overtake our vocabulary, take a second to recognize what’s actually happening now and the growth you have made with the ones that matter. If your life and who you are could change so drastically over four years, who’s to say where you will be four years later?

For the people who have every detail of their life written out in their Notes app, and people like me who have a sense of impending doom and hear the clock get louder every time they say they don't know yet, calm down. We have time. You don’t have to know anything yet. And if you do, it’s probably going to change anyway. Your goals will change, your personality will change, and that change is something we should be grateful for.

The concept of change and things in my life being different has always been something I struggled to grasp. It never made sense to me how things that felt so permanent and things I relied on could be different. Reflecting back now, change is the best thing that God has ever done for me. In 8th grade, I would have done anything to have the same friends, goals, and personality. And now, I can’t imagine being that girl, and I am beyond thankful for it. Embrace the change. If you wake up one day and want to go down a completely different path, go with it. If you want to start a new hobby, go with it. It’s never too late to make a change for the better and try something new. After all, the clock is ticking, and the longer you hold on to the past, the less you will be able to experience the future.