I Can’t Wait!

Howdy y’all, my name is Maggie! Savannah’s jet setting, a little rough around edges, Texas cousin. As a life long learner, self-improver, and curious thinker, I’m honored to be featured on a blog that is founded on unique perspectives, the vulnerability of others and the uplifting of women. I’ve always wanted to be a writer, that’s something I’ve never been vulnerable enough to admit out loud, so please enjoy my debut piece!

Let me set the scene:

I’m on a boat in the Pacific Ocean with 8 other girls, headed back home after a gorgeous weekend on Catalina Island to celebrate my cousin’s (the Coastal Cowgirl herself) 25th birthday and I hear my uncle say “the older I get, the faster time goes.” In the moment I didn’t think too much about it but on the drive home today from the grocery, it got me thinking about our time on this hurtling rock through space… 

***Disclaimer: At the end of July I turned 28, so I’ll let you decide whether to call this entry a deep philosophical thought or a mental breakdown. 

 When I was in my middle school/preteen years, I can remember times where I wished I was older or for time to speed up so that I could live through experiences I thought it was ready to have. Examples like, but not limited to:

I can’t wait for high school 

I can’t wait to drive 

I can’t wait to move out 

I can’t wait to have a career  

I can’t wait to be married 

I can’t wait to have kids 

Can you relate to any of these cliché childhood moments? I’d say these frivolous statements and usually someone older and always wiser would say, “You shouldn’t wish your life away. One day you’re going to look back and you’re going to miss being this young!” I’d usually scoff in my teenage angst and typically think, “Yeah right, what do you know?” Turns out, more than I thought. 

So on my post Trader Joe’s downward spiral of a drive home, I thought about what my uncle said and how fast my 28 years have actually gone. I made it through high school, I learned to drive, I moved out, I went to college and I currently have my dream career as a nurse. It took about 10 years to hit all these milestones but it went by so quickly that I often find myself still feeling like that teenager wishing for the future to get here rather than an adult.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, what about getting married and having kids? Do you still want those things now as an adult? The answer is yes, of course. And it’s hard not to say, “I can’t wait…” when so many of my friends and peers are getting engaged, married and having children. I’ll level with you dear reader, I’m currently very single and those two “I can’t wait” moments probably aren’t in my near future and being newly 28, that’s a tad scary to think about. I’ve always been a future tripper and an anxious over-thinker, so much so that I have a hard time sitting down and appreciating the now. I can recall more than a handful of moments in my life that could have been spectacular and were anything but because I was worried about the future or being self-conscious instead of being mindful and present in the moment. Here are a few examples:

-You could be at a happy hour with friends you haven’t seen in a long time and instead of catching up with them you’re worried about what you’re going to bring for lunch tomorrow at work.

-You could be on a stunning beach vacation and instead of relaxing you’re worried about how much money it’s costing you.

-You could be stag at your childhood best friend’s wedding and spend the whole time wishing you had a partner there to experience it with.

I’ve actually lived these scenarios more than once in my life and I was experiencing them in a scarcity mindset, the obsession of what you lack, and because of it I look back and think about how I acted instead of the time I had. The opposite is a scarcity mindset is called an abundance mindset, the ability to see limitless potential in life. (Before the plagiarism police come for me, scarcity and abundance mindsets are two terms coined by the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.)

Those who love me know I’m a little “woo-woo” and that I believe in the power of manifestation. That thoughts become things. So I’ve been thinking about my intentions for my 28th trip around the sun and here’s what I have so far:

-I’m going to spend this year living in the now 

-I’m going to be grateful for what I have right now

-I’m going to be patient and trust that what’s meant for me is coming 

-I’m going to be happy and supportive for those who are experiencing the “I can’t wait” moments I haven’t yet 

-I am exactly where I’m meant to be

I know this feels contradictory to “being present” when it sounds like I’m making goals for the future but these are more mindful intentions than goals. Goals are more measurable and literal. These are mindset shifts and affirmations. I want to experience life from a place of abundance. I want to spend this year without any regrets or fear that I missed out on something. I plan to live this year being present in the moment and less self-conscious. I plan to really soak in my independence and singleness because in a year, I might be in a relationship. I plan to celebrate those around me who are achieving huge life milestones. I want to savor the moments happening in the present.

I think it’s important that I mention to NEVER stop romanticizing your future but don’t let it get in the way of what you’re living right now. Don’t want what’s to come so badly you miss the moments happening this very second. Because who knows? It could be your last chance jump in the water before the weekend trip is over. It could be your last chance to hug someone you love. It could be your last first date. It could be your last chance to dance. After all, you’ll never be younger than you are right now. ;) 

Cheers to the present!  

xo,

Maggie