I recently went to a wedding where three separate moments brought me to joyful tears. While on a run, I witnessed a beaming father let go of his daughter’s bike as she rode a two wheeler for the very first time. I spent one morning diving into a good book with a divine cup of coffee. These small, beautiful moments provided a little lesson in happiness by reminding me to live in the moment. It is a message I hear over and over again, yet never comes unnecessary and remains essential.
I have been setting long term goals my entire life. It seems to be one of the first things we are taught as kids and something we realize is crucial as adults. Our teachers tell us the goal of school is to learn and achieve good grades. Our parents encourage earning a college degree so we may have ample opportunities in the world. We endlessly and meticulously tailor our resumes in order to secure a well-paying job so, one day, we can achieve the ultimate goal: retiring with financial security and the satisfaction of living a good life. This is what I have come to know as, “the life ladder.” The top of the ladder, achievement of our basic, long term goals, is where we find happiness, right?
As a hopeful, kind of lost but kind of found, 20-something, I regularly find myself wrapped up in this mindset.
Since returning from a semester abroad, the feeling has overwhelmed me more than usual. It was a difficult mental transition from traveling the world daily to having endless free time in a small town I knew like the back of my hand. While having this time was refreshing and relaxing, it seemed like I couldn’t turn my inner thoughts off. The spontaneity had gone and the concept of reality was quickly settling in. Preparing for my senior year of college, my thoughts were sparse except for one: “what’s next on the life ladder?”
I was consumed by the idea of the future. Which ironically, is my top strength according to Strength Finder (for non UMN students, this is a brutally long thorough survey where smarty pants psychologists estimate your strongest qualities). I’m practically Zenon, Girl of the 21st Century. Every night before I fall asleep, I envision what I want my future to look like and how I’m going to get there. My roommates can attest to this and together we have coined it the daily “Mal Montage.” While I believe this forward looking strength has driven and will continue to drive personal success, it is like most things in life – in need of balance.
The future is there, waiting. It’s waiting with open arms, success, and the unknown. The present, however, well the present is like a freshly delivered pizza. Its aroma fills the room and the pre-cut slices are ready for the taking, but only if you choose to do so.
I’ve treated this past week like a pizza where each moment was a slice.
I paid closer attention to the everyday moments. I let my curiosity get the best of me during my walk to and from work. I literally stopped and smelled the flowers, asked thoughtful questions to people I just met, watched a family cheerfully greet their mother on the train station platform, and so much more.
This week, my inner Zenon took a backseat. I’m amazed at what a little extra effort to live in the moment can do. I’ve remembered that achieving long term goals will no doubt bring me joy, but the everyday moments? Those are the ones we live for.
