A few weeks ago my therapist said something very powerful. The context was dealing with my anxiety and she told me this: “Kyle remember that depression is when we get caught up in the past and anxiety is when we think too much about the future.” I think a lot of people can relate to dwelling on something that went wrong in years prior. How many of us can pinpoint an embarrassing interaction at at a friends’ cookout? How about the entirety of your middle school life? Or the time you locked yourself in your third grade bathroom because people can hear you singing songs from the Winter Play while they are silent reading? (that was a little specific, admittedly) My point being is this: our choices shape us into who we are. Part of this experience in life is living, making mistakes and learning from those mistakes to hopefully do better next time. It can be cringe-inducing to look back on the choices made in the past, sometimes even painful. Part of what makes today so important is that you, the person reading this, has the power to learn from those past mistakes. As long as you look to improve on those past mistakes, there is no reason to fear or be anxious about the future. As important of a message as this is in 2020 or any year: you should only concern yourself with which you can control. Humans have eyes on their face for a reason; so you don’t have to constantly look at what’s behind you. Take this mindset into your very bright and controllable future.
Take care and be well!
-YFBF
Your First Black Friend 