If only it was as simple

I wish it was as simple as in our younger days..

Where stress to succeed was just trying to win Best Item/Dance/Sketch during camps... or playing as many sports as possible... Or getting good grades so you won't look dumb in your group of brainy friends...

I wish it was that simple.

Not the constant inner-nagging to keep motivation up after putting in ALL your effort and sacrificing sleep...essay after essay after project...the day to day struggle to keep reading like my life depended on it... violently snapping my roaming attention back into the cramped desk I've been at ALL day..staring at the laptop screen looking for countless journals...not knowing if I'm wasting time reading something not relevant... not knowing if the topic I've zoomed in on will even show up in the finals at all... feeling the stress of not being able to finish studying in time... Of being a failure.

I wish it was as simple as when we were younger...