
When I think of a March morning, I smell a moist, warm wind mixed with Petunia perfume. I see an orange sunrise peeling out from a rain cloud. I hear crowds of crows and chickens alongside the progressive sound of corporate America’s highway race. And as I taste avocado toast washed down with pulpy orange juice, I am at once transported to the stressful springs of ACT tests, meets, formals, finals and anxiety over the future.
If you’re a teenager, you know that spring is often our busiest season. Just as flowers bloom and rainclouds cry, so we are bursting out of winter cocoons. If we get to travel over spring break, our eyes are open to new people, places, and paces, and our school rut is broken. When we spend time in nature, we soak in the freshness and newness of the year. And as we study hard for tests, our minds are fresh and alert to problem solving – we feel intellectually aware of the world and ourselves.
But we can unknowingly fall into the trap of busyness. We categorize projects over people. We place numbers over naps, compromising sleep amidst work spreadsheets or math assignments. All the while, we’re (quite innocently) immune to the secret tears of our friend, or the depression of our sibling. And this is costly. By the end of our busy semester, we have lost all friends, neglected our health, and are spiritually drained.
I do not believe we need to ignore our innate drive to work hard. It is healthy – even admirable – to level up your discipline with the speed and focus of a track runner. It is commendable to stretch out of your comfort zone by applying for that faraway college, taking on extra work hours, and starting your own business (or writing that book!).
Regardless, guard your priorities. The relationship you have with your little sister is more valuable than your Pre-AP English final grade. The bond you have with your friends far outweighs your sports record – even if you are aiming for a sports scholarship. While a good ACT score does promise a secure future at the college of your dreams, that is not the end goal. Relationships are the most valuable thing around you because you can only take people to Heaven.
Your personal health is critical. If you are not physically well, you are less apt to be a good friend – let alone perform well in sports or study efficiently. We must practically and proactively protect our rest, nutrition, movement, and mindset. We can enjoy our friend’s all-night birthday party, or a spring break road trip, but we can also tap into the discipline we have to succeed at school and in sports. What makes you feel energized, awake, and clear-minded? Those disciplines (sleep schedule, healthy food intake, electronic-free hours) should be incorporated into your everyday routine.
March is when you prepare for the excitement of graduation and the pressure of a final. It is the busyness of band competitions and the anticipation of a ballet recital. So, let us embrace this season and launch into it in full swing, alert and active, with priorities in line. As my dad says, we must keep the first things first: your relationship with God, first and foremost, because that is the only path to succeed in life; your relationship with others must be priority, for people are more valuable than anything else on earth (and at some point, you will need them to help you); and your health must be carefully considered, for it is the key to success.
Do you need to focus? Yes. Do you need to shut out the world and live a completely secluded selfish life all in favor of supporting your dreams? Absolutely not. Be sure to allow yourself to breathe in between events. Take a walk during the sunset. Blend a new kind of smoothie. Find a new book to read. Enjoy a bike ride with your siblings. Inserted in between the grueling tasks in your day, these activities can refresh your mind.
As a note, if you feel like your spring calendar is currently not set up for productivity, I encourage you to join an outdoor sport, or volunteer with something you have a heart for, or take on some extra work hours. Not only will you feel accomplished and satisfied come summer, but time will fly quickly, and by summer, you will have gained new skills.
_ “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” Colossians 3:23
“And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God.” Ecclesiastes 5:19
“As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” John 9:4
Such a good reminde!