This is a rather personal post, but after having seen this picture on Facebook and reading the related article over at The Washington Post, my fingers started reacting. What was only meant to be a short comment on Facebook ended up with a small rant, but I guess my fingers wanted to say more on the topic than my head originally intended. What it ended up was this short little rant/comment/observation.
Hmmm, what can you say about something like this? The only thing that springs to mind is that there is some truth to this.
I was brought up to enjoy the smaller things in life, as they are a lot more common than those big moments that come so seldom. Sure you tend to remember those rare days/nights more vividly than the small things you experience every day, like someone offering you a smile, a gentle nod, someone opening the door for you, offering you a seat on the bus when you have your hands full of grocery bags etc.
At times, even a simple hello is enough to make your day, or someone unknown that you talked to on the phone that seemed so full of life and happiness, that you just couldn’t help yourself from being smitten and ending up with a smile and a cheer as well.
Perception is a strange thing. And beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The problem with modern life is that we tend to be rushed, always going fast, never really taking the time to actually make time, take it easy, sit down and do nothing. Or in this case, to stop up to listen to someone conveying something both immensely technically difficult and at the same time beautiful.
Many people complain that “there’s is never enough time” and that “the day should have more hours”. Let’s face it, the day will never have more than 24 hours (unless someone comes up with an ingenious plan to slow down the earth’s rotation), and as for never enough time, the only one that can give you time is yourself.
I constantly hear from other people that they feel they fail to live up to the expectations of others, as they can’t make the time or can’t afford to attend a party, an event or some kind of other social relationship.
The thing is, even if you were able to make the time and could afford it, does it increase the quality of your life to such an extent that you couldn’t be without? Or could you actually be better off staying at home, putting your feet on the table, opening up a good bottle of wine, lighting some candles and just taking a deep breath and relaxing?
In a world filled with unfulfilled expectations and rush for “something better”, it’s allowed to be selfish and actually think about yourself and how you spend your time. And I say selfish, but is thinking about yourself a selfish act?
When push comes to show, the only one you can truly rely on to take care of you is yourself. Sure, you can have great friends, family and acquaintances surrounding you, and sure they can offer you great insight and advice, but in the end it’s up to you what you end up doing.
This might be a bit of a rant, but what I’m basically trying to say is this:
You are allowed to sit down, take a breath and slow down and think about no one else but yourself. Allow yourself to do just that. Make a date with yourself and enjoy your own company. Why? Because you’re worth it.