First post in a long time

So I have wanted to make an entry on the blog for a long time, but never felt sufficiently inspired to do so. One of the reasons is that life hit me, in all of its ordinary and mundane glory; I will try to explain…

Life takes on a rhythm no matter who you are, where you are, what you are doing, what you are seeking, and where you are going. For this reason I used to feel disenchanted with life, craving a natural high in every moment and yet only experiencing the normal, ordinary feedback that comes from getting up, fulfilling the day’s activities, eating, doing more activities, eating again, practicing some relaxation or leisure activities, then going to sleep. And the next day to do it all over again. I spited this and it incensed me to think how much time I had “wasted” simply filling the hours of my day with the requisites of life. It took going on a trip around the world to realize that life does not give itself meaning. We can become as angry or spiteful as we will, but this does not change the fact that we have a very significant role to play in our own pursuit of happiness. Why did it take going around the world? In my mind I used to think that people outside the United States lived differently, and hence experienced more fulfillment in life, however in encountering them face to face and taking in their daily doings, I have come to realize the truth that I stated at the beginning. Our lives naturally (and of necessity) develop a rhythm, and only by understanding our individual rhythm and enriching it by including the things that we enjoy on a regular basis, can we find true happiness and fulfillment in the short term of our daily lives, and I believe ultimately this leads to long-term happiness and a sense of fulfillment as well.

Daniel, Mike, and I spent a long time in Melbourne, and I think this is one of the greatest lessons that I learned. Joy and fulfillment only came when I recognized the rhythm in my life at that time, and then effectively implemented the things that I enjoy into that rhythm. We all have needs and desires that we cannot run from, but rather must learn to embrace and fulfill in the most natural and healthy ways possible, in order that our lives take on deeper meaning simply because we enjoy them more completely.

Life always has the potential to become mundane, and do not think that just because we are on the other side of the world that life does not at times become mundane and ordinary all over again, because it does. We still have to eat, use the toilet, sleep, pay bills, and take care of our needs just the same as when we were at home. Thus, it is not simply in drastic changes, such as travelling around the world, that true change and satisfaction is achieved in the human person. I believe it lies more in the small things, and making them as personally satisfying and fulfilling as possible, such that the little necessities of every day become no longer nuisances, but rather little reasons for joy.

To concretize my reflection a bit, I want to thank all of our friends in Melbourne who helped make our stay so much more rewarding and fulfilling. Friends, family, and relationships are key to maintaining that meaning and sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in life, for without them life too easily devolves into a mundane and even boring repetition of the same necessary tasks over and over again. These tasks are necessary. That we cannot change. However we can change the way we think about them, the way we do them, what we do when we are not doing them, and then suddenly life has been reinvented, life is fun and interesting again. For some it may take a trip around the world, but whatever it is for you, strive to learn more and more each day of what makes your life more meaningful and rewarding, and permanently integrate those things into your life.

Live life to the fullest and die knowing that you have indeed lived.