Your friend just got a flashy new job. Your cousin just finished college with a Latin honor. A vlogger just went on a trip to your dream destination. And your childhood friend? She just got married and is now expecting a baby! Have you ever found yourself getting pressured with all these things you see on social media? If you said ‘no,’ maybe you’re one of the rare lucky ones. But whatever your answer is, take your time to read this:

Seeing all these milestones of different people can sometimes hit you like a truck. It can make you feel envious, bitter, pressured, depressed, or all of it at once. I know all these because I’ve been there and if you’re ever in this situation right now, this is for YOU: Time is too precious to be a spectator in someone else’s life. Don’t just sit there and be a spectator of other people posting their milestones on a small screen. I’m telling you to get off your phone, stop doom scrolling and obsessing over watching other people live their lives. Time is too precious to spend watching from the sidelines. Your life deserves more than just being an audience to someone else’s highlight reel. Instead, shift your energy into something meaningful, something that would make you better. It doesn’t have to be big, nothing major. Start by clearing your mind by cleaning your room, doing a digital reset, making time for your hobbies, taking a power nap, or just simply taking a stroll outside to feel the sun and breathe fresh air. Do anything you can think of to engage with reality, do everything you can to keep moving forward. In other words, go touch grass.

Now, you might be thinking: “I already know all these things, don’t you have anything new up your sleeve?” Yes, I bet you already know all these things and no, I have nothing new up my sleeve. I am not writing this to teach you something new, I am telling you all these to simply remind you of the things you already know. You see, there is a silver lining between knowing and remembering. You might know a lot of things but you cannot always remember everything. So, here’s a gentle reminder that time is too precious and life is too short to just scroll through someone else’s world. Take the first step. Start living your life again.

*If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading. I truly enjoyed writing this, and I hope you enjoyed reading it just as much. Today marks Day 1 of challenging myself to write again without relying too much on AI 🙌🏻