Winter break was beautiful, but it is over and we are now well into the new year…and it has come with everything I expected and more. Classes started full throttle and life became as busy as it has ever been, for myself and everyone around me. Life is crazy, so sometimes I stop in the middle of the day and just take a moment to breathe, to appreciate the little things and remember the big picture. No matter what is going in my life and the world around me, I know I can always close my eyes, take a deep breath, and everything will be okay. Today I realized that even though we hear we should do this all the time and we know it’s beneficial, not many people actually take the time to do so.

Problems, challenges, struggles, being busy and stressed, that will never end. That is all an inevitable part of life that occurs to everyone, everywhere, and should be embraced. But for some reason, people get the idea in their minds that if they could just finish, or get to where they want to be, they will be happy. They get so caught up in this that they think they don’t have time to stop and be happy. But the truth is, you don’t need extra time to be happy. Happiness is internal and once it has been found, nothing and no one can take it away; it can be carried in your soul no matter what is happening in the world around you. 

I wish that more people could realize that, or remember that and apply it into their lives, because there is just no point in completing worldly tasks without taking the time to enjoy the journey. The smallest things can be a reminder of this: flowers on the table, a hug from a loved one, a warm shower and meal and nap. But, if our happiness depends on extreme life events such as the completion of our greatest goals, then we will spend much less time experiencing happiness. To end, I’ve found a quotation that perfectly expresses everything I’ve just said in a few words, by Andy Rooney:

“For most of life, nothing wonderful happens. If you don’t enjoy getting up and working and finishing your work and sitting down to a meal with family or friends, then the chances are you’re not going to be very happy. If someone bases his/her happiness on major events like a great job, huge amounts of money, a flawlessly happy marriage or a trip to Paris, that person isn’t going to be happy much of the time. If, on the other hand, happiness depends on a good breakfast, flowers in the yard, a drink or a nap, then we are more likely to live with quite a bit of happiness.”