I have recently improved my viewpoint on life while atop a mountain. What I mean by this is, while standing at the top of a mountain I uncovered a once forgotten outlook. Growing up, I was always a “look at the sky” type of child, meaning that I was never too caught up in my life to not notice the sky. Now many years later, I stood on top of Lookout Mountain, watching the day come to a close as the sun descended below the horizon, only being able to take in how peaceful that moment was and coming to the same conclusion once again.

As I gazed in amazement at the beautiful event, I noticed how totally silent it was. Keep in mind that I was also standing along the same peak, watching the same view, with about 15 to 20 other people. There was no buzz of chatter, ringing of cellphones or the honking of car horns that we have all grown to know. The moment was absolutely perfect and it was as if nature itself had stopped everyone in their tracks. I had no idea who any of these people were, what their stories were or what they may be facing in their lives, but what I did know is that this sunset was so mesmerizing; that it put all of us on pause. No matter how different everyone may have been, we were all there for the same reason. That being to step out of our lives for a moment just to enjoy something that nature provides every single day.

Throughout the past couple of weeks, I have been dealing with many different battles that I keep finding myself running from. Whenever I got to this particular spot, it was as if everything I had been fighting to get away from had been lifted off me with the setting sun. I got so caught up in the view, that for a small moment, I forgot about everything else that I was dealing with. Then it hit me: we all face many different problems within our lives, and we tend to get so caught up in which causes us to forget about all of the beautiful things that makes life worth living. One of these millions of things being, seeing the next sunset.

I admit, in a time of despair, I am rarely able to see anything outside of what’s going on, but now I wish that I would take more time to consider the sunsets and how lucky I actually am to be given the option of even seeing the next one. We are never promised tomorrow yet we live our lives as if we always one. We spend so much time running or worrying about things we cannot change that we forget about the biggest point of life, which is living. Most of us just get through each day, aiming for the weekend without even really enjoying the in-between. I’m not saying a single sunset can end all problems, but it does give you a second of fresher air which can make a situation seem a lot clearer and can make the average day a bit more special.

I don’t know if looking to the sky or climbing the nearest mountain could solve many, if any, of our problems, but something that I do know is sometimes it is beneficial to take the time to step out of the everyday hustle so you can stop and smell the roses. We shouldn’t take life as seriously as we do because in reality, we aren't promised a tomorrow. I think that we should always strive for the next sunset, but not get too caught up in the day to day routines we put ourselves in. Life was meant to enjoy, so don’t get lost in the idea of one thing going wrong for too long because there is so much more to live for. Living wasn’t meant for us to stay boxed up in our own minds for too long, and it's healthy to let ourselves go out to play every now and then. Try stepping out of your life for a moment and taking in the next sunset, you really never know what you may find.