Humans have such a remarkable ability to rationalize and think critically about complicated themes like our own existence, and how our actions affect the quality of this. To be able to form ideas of the so-called "good life" is important to how we discover and create a valuable experience for ourselves.
In a society buzzing with activity, sometimes it's hard to block out the noise and have time to contemplate and consider the unknown.
It can even be daunting to do so.
Speaking from personal experience, I have had a difficult time in the past with this myself, especially while in growing up in a time period of technological transition, where everything under the sun just happens to be available with a few keystrokes or swipes. Despite often being caught up in my own thoughts or social media accounts, I think it's important to ask yourself what you want out of your life.
In my personal version of a good life, appreciating the little things contributes to my vision of a worthwhile existence. It's is so vital to how I interact with others; I love learning about people and their individual habits.
Often times, these little things do often include material things, like gifts that remind me of a person. If I want to get a gift for one of my best friends for their birthday or just cause, I will specifically look for something that holds meaning in their life. The reactions are priceless to personalized gifts.
Little memories with others are also something I treasure. When I would come home for the weekend in my first few years at college, my mom would vacuum my room for me. To most people, they think my mom is just a considerate woman who did chores for me, but inside, I knew that she did it because she knew that I like to have a clean room. And it's just such a small detail that you could miss about me that she picked up on, yet her being in tune with my preferences is truly special and worth appreciating.
I think an important take away is that although my good life now is filled with appreciation of little things, my vision is still shifting. My idea and your idea of the good life at age 12 were far different than the current versions as of 2019; even this is still subject to change.
Remembering that not only is transitioning and evolving so incredibly important, YOU are ultimately in charge of the way your life is lived, no matter the challenges that may lie ahead.
