"The things we truly love stay with us always, locked in our hearts as long as life remains."
- Josephine Baker
Throughout life, we are asked what we are truly passionate about or what in life makes us happy. Last year, I resigned to the fact that being completely happy is impossible in life. It was better to be more focused on being content because it was a more achieveable goal. I think that was a momentary idea because I have come to realize that it just depends on the day. The days when I am focused on the things I love are usually the days that I feel much better about life in general. I think these days also concide with days where I am less stressed, so overall they are just better.
I wanted to elaborate on the things I truly love because it's important to realize them and cherish them.
1. My Family: I would not be the person I am today without the people who have been with me for my entire life or the people who I have choosen to be my family. These are the people who challenge me but also support me when my decisions do not go as planned. They are always going to be the first people I turn to in life even when their advice isn't necessarily what I want to hear.
2. Great Conversations: I like to consider myself an open book once you crack open the cover. I love asking people about their opinions and even though I have the ability to live my life in a completely different way, I like to talk to people about what has worked for them. I think this trait has started more in college but I just want to get to know people. I want to be friends with as many people as possible because it adds so many dimensions to my life.
3. A Bubble Bath and a Good Book: Since the beginning of college, this activity has become a rare occasion. I think I would be immensely happier if I had my own bathroom, so that I could enjoy a bubble bath whenever I wanted. A bubble bath confines you to a space for however long you want. It is the perfect opportunity to catch up on a book or just think about life. Also, there are not as many opportunities to just sit down and enjoy a book. I have so many books that I want to read, but not as much time to complete them. That is another goal for this year...to spend a little bit more time learning through reading (and I don't mean required textbooks). I think this activity encompasses the idea of the power of relaxation. I like knowing my limit and being able to take a step back from the situation.
4. Being Independent: I like the opportunity to make my own choices and to feel secure in saying that life can change in an instant. I came into college thinking that I would never want to live/travel outside the Southeast region, let alone the United States. It's just not something that interested me. Now, I am looking at the next two years of my life and regretting not studying abroad my first two years of college. It's those kind of decisions that I like being able to take ownership of. I think a lot of people equate this idea to wanting to be by myself. I realize that the timeline I have had planned out in my head since age 4 is probably shifting with each passing day, but I also realize that when those big milestones come I will be willing and able to change to accomodate them because they will be a new, exciting experience. I think this idea can also meaning trusting what is going to happen in life. There is a plan and we can do what we want to influence our lives, but in the end it's going to work out.
5. Giving back to the world: Walking into a Habitat for Humanity meeting my sophomore year of high school literally put my life on a whole new path. Even though my family was always very giving, I never understood how much could be done to make the world a better place. If I don't sponsor a Habitat home in the future, my life will not be complete. I came up with this crazy vision during my Leonard class last semester about starting a foundation. I don't know how my life will progress to get to this goal but I know that at the end of my life I want to have made a difference on the world around me.
6. Knowing Myself: I think this process was accelerated by my participation in the Leonard program. I think it is also just a step in the college process. I understand much better now why I act the way I do and I know that some traits have been with me since the day that I was born. By understanding all those aspects of my character, I can make sure that the decisions I make are the best for me.
These are the six things that I can think of right in this moment. They are overarching ideas that make up so much of my life. One day, I will write a blog about all the little things that go on in my life that make it enjoyable on a daily basis.
I guess the "things we truly love" could also be compared to our values. I am discovering on a more daily basis how much life has to offer. I want to take advantage of opportunities as they come along but I also want to remember what "is locked in my heart as long as life remains".
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