Short Story Sunday: Worrying About Tomorrow

Caleb thought about the future more than he wanted to admit.

While other people focused on what was happening now, his mind lived several steps ahead. He thought about where he would end up, what he would become, and whether the choices he was making were enough. The questions came quietly at first, then louder as time passed.

What if I choose wrong?

What if I fall behind?

What if everyone else figures it out before I do?

Those thoughts followed him everywhere.

At school, Caleb tried to stay focused on assignments and deadlines, but his attention drifted. Every decision felt heavier than it needed to be. Picking classes. Choosing activities. Even imagining life after graduation made his chest tighten.

The future felt like a moving target.

Adults often asked what he wanted to be someday. The question made him uncomfortable. He felt like he was supposed to have an answer, something confident and impressive. Instead, he had uncertainty. Curiosity. Fear.

So he smiled and gave vague responses.

Inside, the pressure built.

Caleb compared himself to others constantly. Some people seemed so sure of their path. They talked about plans with confidence, as if the future were already mapped out. Caleb wondered what they knew that he didn’t.

At night, the anxiety grew louder.

When everything was quiet, his thoughts had space to roam. He imagined worst case scenarios. Failure. Disappointment. Letting people down. The future became something to fear instead of something to look forward to.

What made it harder was that no one seemed to notice.

Caleb still showed up. Still completed his work. Still laughed with friends. On the surface, he looked fine. Anxiety has a way of hiding behind responsibility.

Everything began to shift during a conversation he didn’t expect to matter.

He listened as someone spoke honestly about the future. Not with certainty, but humility. They talked about changing directions. About making mistakes. About realizing that most people are figuring things out as they go.

That honesty surprised him.

Caleb had always imagined that successful people knew exactly where they were headed. Hearing that uncertainty was normal felt relieving, almost comforting.

For the first time, he considered the possibility that the future didn’t require perfect answers.

The anxiety didn’t disappear overnight.

But Caleb began approaching things differently.

Instead of worrying about where he would be years from now, he focused on what he could do today. Showing up. Learning. Trying. Making decisions based on curiosity instead of fear.

When anxious thoughts returned, he reminded himself that growth happens step by step, not all at once.

Some days were easier than others.

There were still moments when the future felt overwhelming. But those moments no longer controlled him. He learned that uncertainty doesn’t mean failure. It means possibility.

Caleb stopped seeing the future as something waiting to judge him.

He began seeing it as something he was allowed to shape.

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Reflection Questions:

1. What worries you most when you think about the future?

2. How does anxiety show up in your thoughts or body?

3. What pressures do you feel about having life figured out?

4. What can you focus on today instead of worrying about tomorrow?

5. What would change if you allowed yourself to learn as you go?

Youth are encouraged to share their reflections by emailing MyStory@3JYouth.org