What getting punched in the face taught me about not giving a fuck

Written 12/03/2025, Posted 19/03/2025

I am currently sitting on the plane to visit friends in Sweden. Considering I’m terrified of flying, I’m remarkably calm and excited. Truanting university and flying to a country I’ve never been to before  appears to have put me in quite a joyful mood! I’ll explain why I’m ignoring my studies another time, but right now you need to know that the idea of university has excited me for as long as I can remember. 

In school, I spent a considerable amount of time dreaming about the freedom and incredible subjects I could learn about as an undergrad – not to mention the incredible people I would meet and potentially become friends with. I’m so happy to say that most of this came true. However, how my time at university would begin was completely beyond my anticipation.

A few days before my classes began, a rather silly fella decided that their fist should meet with my face, several times, in quick succession. After a couple of hospital visits and a surgery to repair a twice-broken jaw I was back in university two weeks later.  Not as planned, safe to say! So what does one do when presented with such hardship? 

Well I firmly believe that, in life, what’s right for you will come to you. However, you have to be willing to receive it – wishing you can change the past is a trap that precludes you from being able to enjoy what’s in the present, and blinds you to all the wonderful possibilities the future may bring you. Pain is inevitable but suffering is optional. One may dwell on why something has happened to them, or they may learn and grow from it.

My point is that weirdly enough, this experience set me free. Despite some hyper vigilance returning to my life for the next few months, my life genuinely improved significantly. I became more focused, more present, and appreciative. Of course, I was lucky enough to have access to therapy and the desire to actually go for it in the first place. Regardless, I’m grateful for the huge lesson I learned: that life is short – what a revelation, I know! – and to stop caring about things I have no control over. This way, I can care about the things that actually matter to me and not what I simply think matter to me.

So whilst I still had some learning to do, as I still do, my philosophy has changed from planning everything to just taking things day by day. Honestly, to the potential horror of my past self, I have to say it bloody works! I feel at peace, for the first time in my life.

Anyway, moral of the story is that life is good, just let yourself be – and go on lots of walks! I leave you with a guiding quote:

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” – Master Oogway, Kung Fu Panda

P.S., I’m sure someone else said this before but screw you, watch the Kung Fu Panda series, it’s bloody amazing.