The other day, I was scrolling through articles on the internet, and came across this article on spirituality. As I sat there, I thought about the problems our generation faces, and I realized something: We all need to get engaged.

Now I'm not talking about the "Ring By Spring"/"The Bachelor"/"till death do us apart" kind of engaged. I'm talking about mental engagement: being mindful, attentive, appreciative. Engaged in my work and school, my relationships, and myself.

Oftentimes, we rush through life instead of taking time and attention to connect. I've found myself (on more than one occasion) walking to class while simultaneously talking to my friend, sending an email, replying to my mom's text, and thinking about whatever exam I have coming up this week.

Instead, I want to be engaged. Engaged with the person sitting across from me at the table. I want to really listen, never just absentmindedly nodding. I want to hear what they have to say and welcome silence, instead of thinking about what I could reply with next and jumping right in. I want to understand a single, deeper detail of their life instead of the daily slew of shallow conversation.

I want to be engaged in my work, appreciating knowledge and always being in awe and wonder of the world, instead of complaining about how much there is to study or learn in terms of an examination.

Be engaged with the community and give back. Not only resulting in helping others but growing as a person by taking a step back and seeing the world as bigger than just my experience.

I want to be engaged with myself and truly recognize my feelings and emotions (both good or bad). Understanding and accepting my vulnerabilities. Learning how to control stress and be mindful.

Engagement not only helps us work towards our passions with focus and purpose, but allows us to connect us with others and with ourselves. So let's all go ahead and get engaged, and with this, work on appreciating life to experience truly meaningful moments every single day.