Sunday, December 30, 2012

Lesson of the Day: Live in the Moment

Something I've always struggled with is the ability to live in the moment. From the time I was a kid, I always had a Plan A, B, C, D, and E for everything. I lined up options for every scenario "just in case." The worst part of all this was that I felt restricted by my own boundaries. I would get anxious and miserable when I had to follow the plan I had set out, especially because of my inner need for adventure and spontaneity.

As I get older, I find that the more I plan, the more things fail to go my way. When I force things, as soon as I stop exerting pressure, it falls apart. Whereas when I let things happen and just set an intentional path, good things automatically happen. As I reflect back on my trip abroad, I've noticed I've become more relaxed in my approach to life and because of this, great things have happened.

For instance, before I traveled to Australia and New Zealand, I would stress just at the thought of what type of jobs to line up, where to live, where to visit, and what to do. For the first month while I lived in Brisbane, I thought this way and quickly realized I wasn't going to enjoy my time abroad if I continued to worry and stress about every little thing instead of living day by day. Then, when I met up with Diana in Melbourne, she taught me the very important lesson of how to appreciate the now.

Now, instead of waking up and planning everything, I wake up and think to myself, "Today is going to be a great day filled with adventure and amazing people that will help guide me to where I need to go." I know it may not be your cup of tea to script your day through affirmations, but it's helped me become more at ease and appreciate every moment of every day.

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