Life is often defined by the grand moments; the exclamation mark moments. “She said yes!” “Happy birthday!” “You got the job!”. But most days are just ordinary. You get up, make your coffee, go to class, do you work. Rinse and repeat.Â
It’s easy to get caught wishing for the remarkable. Just how we all wish for Fridays on sluggish Mondays. But in these moments wishing for better moments we often pass by some of life’s most beautiful moments. The simple, quiet ones.Â
It’s a good practice to begin finding the beauty in the mundane, simple moments of life. Admitally, I don’t do this nearly as much as I should. I drag my feet on my walk back from class, I long for my spring break trip, and I swipe through photos missing the once green state that has turned to sticks.Â
However for the past couple of weeks I have been trying to slow down to enjoy the slower moments of life. Here’s what I’ve learned:Â
Embracing this change in finding beauty in the mundane has greatly benefitted my mental state. I find that the more that I pay attention to the small moments of my day the more joy that I feel. Until implementing this change into my life I wasn’t appreciating moments that I should’ve. Dinners at the dining hall, snowy walks to class, even something as simple as a phone call with my mom carries much more meaning now.Â
While paying closer attention to the simple moments of life I’ve also found myself having more mental clarity. Introducing simplicity in my life has reduced mental clutter and thus stress. Being able to find joy in the smaller things has made it easier for me to dwell on what is important.Â
Embracing the simple, and often overlooked, pleasures of life is a gateway in simplifying life and finding joy in the mundane. A quiet walk, a good book, or sharing a meal with loved ones are all great ways to redirect the focus from the grandeur of life to the people and activities that add actual value. Simplicity allows space for more meaningful connections and experiences.Â
My senior year of high school I joked saying “UVM is the only school I’ve toured that hasn’t sent me into a spiral”. I laughed, remarking about how I didn’t want to leave my hometown, the safety of Connecticut that had been with me since I was a kid. However when it came to applying to schools I only applied to one. UVM. I applied “early decision” and hoped that one day I’d be living the exact life I’m living now. Now I often find myself walking home from class, bothered that my hands are freezing or that I still have to walk back to campus later to go to another lecture. This awful habit of mine has left me dreading my walks home because I just know I’ll be in a bad mindset. However now that I’ve changed my mindset into finding beauty in the simplicity of life I’ve reframed these complaints. Instead of complaining I realize that I’m living the life I once wished for and how grateful I am to the people and opportunities that made this possible.
Overall I encourage you all to begin finding joy in the quiet moments of life. Slow down. Appreciate the mundane because in these moments we can often find true happiness.Â
“A person must be selective with their time and energy because both elements of life are limited.” – Kilroy J. Oldster