Simple times

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is still accomplished.”

What do you really need to do?

What things in your life are so pressing that they have to be done within a 24 hour window? I’m talking about things that will put you at high risk of not surviving if they are not done.

For most of you, there aren’t many. There are things you know you should do to get where you want to go, but there are not many things you need to do to survive.

LIFE GETS A LOT MORE STRESSFUL WHEN WANTS BECOME NEEDS.

Wants usually transpire because of the outcomes you desire. You see something that you want, therefore there are things you feel like you need to do to get there. An idea is formed inside your head of what somebody who has the outcome does with their time. Sometimes, it is spot on. Other times, it is a false idea that you planted yourself based on your perception of others.

My need-to-dos consist of a lot of things that I have seen others do who are in a place where I want to be. So I stress day in and day out trying to make sure these things happen. When I know I want an outcome, I tune my entire day around trying to make it happen as soon as possible. My biggest problem:

I LOSE TRACK OF THE BEAUTY IN THE SIMPLE THINGS AROUND ME.

My self progress has become my distraction.

My need for self-development has made me lose track of spending time here, now, in the present.

I feel like each day I am trying to check off a bunch of boxes. I live to check a box but doing this makes me lose track of the simple things that give me as much joy.

That is what I’m looking for right? Joy?

Joy is easier to find when you let yourself find it.

Productivity has to have balance, just as everything in life.

Without productivity, your life would be flat. You’d be moving on a trend line with no slope. The need for self-improvement forces you to constantly grow and get better. It makes it so you can look back and see all the mountain that you have already climbed. But the mountain never ends. You never truly get there. That’s why balance is important.

If your goal is to just get to the top of the mountain as fast as you can, you miss out on the entire journey up. You miss the thousands of sunrises and sunsets that come with each day of that journey. You miss the beauty of a rainbow after a thunderstorm. You miss the calmness of a summer morning where all that can be heard is the chirp of doves.

It is hard to slow down when you want what is at the finish so bad, but life will just continue to move even when you get there.

You don’t “finish” anything.

Life is an infinite game. 

I almost neglected what was a great moment last night because of my need for productivity. 

My roommate, who I am living with for 50 more days, came into my room because he wanted to talk. I was so focused on trying to get a blog written that I hardly focused on what he was saying to me, then it dawned on me. I was doing something that didn’t matter to avoid doing what did matter.

I closed my laptop and listened. I finally became aware of what was going on around me and life seemed to slow down for a second. I wasn’t as worried about being productive because that conversation filled me up with joy I cannot get from productivity. 

Because I took a second to enjoy that moment, I was able to create a memory I won’t forget. It will be a lot more vivid because I ditched the distractions and enjoyed the simplicity of the moment.

It brings me back to when I was a kid. On spring nights, I would ask my dad to go hit baseballs. Being the same personality as me, he would be working on something, trying to be as productive as possible and help support our family. But as soon as I asked him to go hit balls, he would drop what he was doing and come out. No matter what the situation was.

I know I was so lucky to be able to experience this because most kids get scared to ask their parents to do anything. Heck, I could ask my mom to play catch with me or take us to the playground and it was automatic, no matter if she wanted to or not. My parents took the time to just enjoy the simplicity of the moment. They didn’t get overwhelmed with all the distractions of life around them.

Therefore, I need to be less distracted by work.

One thing I learned from my parents:

WORK WILL ALWAYS BE THERE, YOUR KIDS WON’T. 

You have to enjoy the simple moments while you can. Getting too caught up in doing things that are not necessary makes you lose track of what is going on around you.

Take a second to think before you say no to something.

This something could make a memory forever.

Enjoy the simple times.

***

Thank you for reading!

My goal is to inspire self-improvement in others through my personal stories and experiences.

This is The Exploration.