Peace of Advice by Jaydon

Peace of Advice by Jaydon - July 2025 Scholarship Essay

The main piece of advice that would remain ubiquitous across all the ages of my life is this: appreciate the present moment.

At many occasions in my life I have spent far too much time either dwelling upon my past mistakes or being in a constant state of worry of events that have yet to transpire. It was pointless. All that worry all that regret only resulted in just those things, it never actually made me better as a person. However, when I did appreciate the present moment and tackled real challenges that came head on I not only grew as a person but I was truly living. This was true in football when I would dread every opponent wondering if I'll be able to preform under pressure. Then when the game actually happened I wasn’t so scared anymore. I was in the action, in control and for the most part I was abundantly prepared for whatever lied in front of me. Reality isn't bad. It's when we ruminate on endless fake possibilities of what reality could be...that's when it gets really bad. The human mind, although beautifully powerful, can hinder us from simply existing and taking in life as it is rather than what it was and what it could be. I suffered so much because of these endless thoughts and they even led me to deep episodes depression. Now at 19, I understand the importance of not thinking so much and just existing. Simply being in the world. It's okay to have made mistakes in the past...what's done is done. Likewise it's okay to not know what comes next because all that truly exists is in the here and now. And if you can be at peace now, you can be at peace forever. There are certainly other pieces of advice I would give myself but if I could choose one it would definitely be this as it would have saved me from so much pointless suffering at the mercy of my own mind.