You open your Google Calendar. Is it filled top to bottom with events, categorized by colors, seemingly with no space left?

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Don't worry, you are not the only one burnt out here.

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For the average Jewish teen living in this century, finding a space to connect with other teens is extremely easy: BBYO, NCSY, Diller, Student Bodies, you name it. And frankly, they work. Personally, I'll be forever grateful for the opportunities our movement has given me, and I'd definitely be really out of touch if it weren't for BBYO and my involvement in the organization.

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But how do they work so well? Just like any modern Jewish program: it's the teens.

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Behind every convention, every chapter meeting/program, there's a group of teenagers giving their heart and soul to make things work, proudly defining BBYO as their home.

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And honestly, they do work.

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For many of us, this is our passion. This is the impact we want to leave in our communities.

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When you realize you have a motive, it quickly becomes an ability. Our purpose becomes tinted with responsibility; we go from “I do all of this because I love it” to “I do this because I committed to do so”.

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Fast forward: you are Chapter N’siah, running for Student Body President, applying to competitive colleges, all while handling your personal life and individual responsibilities.

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And while you may be able to handle it on the outside, you'll soon realize it no longer works for you. We start skipping Sunday family lunches when the actual thing we need to skip is the red task on the calendar, all for it to realize, we don't really like what we do anymore.

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Newsflash: the commitment to ourselves is bigger than any widespread responsibility we may feel. We do not need to be constantly achieving, but we do need to be constantly (at least regularly) content with what we are doing.

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Impact is not measured by how much you can achieve in the shortest time possible. It's about finding our passion and using it to achieve greater, better things in the long run.

Because at the end of the day, BBYO, clubs, and sports will come and go, but our purpose is forever. Don't sacrifice it for a few stress-ridden years of your life.

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So, the next time you feel like doing nothing that day, meet up with a friend instead of hopping on a Zoom call.

​Google Calendar can wait, but the enjoyment of life is constant. Maybe then, things will work out.