The iconic and allusive, Ferris Buehler, once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.” This quote is famously admired not only for its relation to the classic and must-see film Ferris Buehler’s Day Off but also because of its accurate portrayal of how life is. Life is fast-paced. If people don’t stop to take the time to appreciate all that life has to offer, they can find themselves losing sight of what truly matters.

Last Tuesday, I caught a glimpse of what it’s like to rush through life and ignore its importance.

I was wrapped up in my usual Tuesday routine. I woke up at 6am to the alarming sound of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” playing from my phone. I then proceeded to take a deep breath, let out a slight scream into my pillow, and roll out of bed (literally). Once I managed to drag my heavy and lethargic compilation of arms and legs out of bed, I proceeded to the bathroom. I plopped my tired body onto the toilet, took a morning Snapchat of how “it’s too early for this,” and then mentally prepared myself for my 7am volleyball practice. Once I let out my typical morning poop, brushed my teeth, and forcefully stuffed a protein bar in my mouth, I continued with the routine. I drove my beloved teammates/roommates/ “sisters” and myself to practice, prayed that our coaches and trainer wouldn’t “kill” us with a difficult workout, and then played some volleyball. After practice I grabbed some food, showered, and went to class. After class, I ran to study hall in hopes of being able to squeeze in an hour of studying before it was time for my next class. After study hall, I met some of my “sisters” at the dining hall, forced more food in my mouth, and once again, followed the routine. After eating, I walked outside and headed for my dorm. My mind was focused on sprinting up the steps towards my dorm so I could grab my laptop before my pending 5:30pm psychology class. As I sprinted towards my dorm, something on the floor caught my eye. I looked towards the floor and saw a pile of orange leaves scattered under my feet. In the middle of the pile, I noticed one particular leaf. This leaf was multi-colored, consisting of shades of greens, yellows, oranges, and a slight hint of red around the edges.

It was so…pretty.

I picked the leaf up from off the ground and continued to gaze at its unique beauty. I thought to myself how unfortunate it was that this leaf’s beauty was going unnoticed. This leaf was most likely stepped on by hundreds of people, remaining unnoticed and unappreciated. I thought of how most people walking around campus are constantly immersed in the music coming from their headphones or in the conversations they are having with their friends that they rarely take the time to appreciate their surroundings. I’ve noticed that it’s typical human nature for people to move so quickly through life that they fail to take into account everything life has to offer.

Life is beautiful.

Although we occasionally face hardships such as having to wake up before the sun sets on a Tuesday morning, it is pivotal for people to appreciate what they have. If you continuously rush through your daily routine without taking the time to obsess over life’s beautiful little quirks, you are not really living. Yes, there are times where I feel like I need to de-stress by screaming into my pillow. And yes, those times may be difficult to cope with. However, life is a series of ups and downs. One day you might feel like Beyoncé during one of her life-changing concerts and the next you might feel like Hilary Clinton after the controversial results of the 2016 presidential election.

When life gets rough, slow down. Take it all in. Think about everything that is beautiful about your life. Think about the people you love and the people that love you. Think about how blessed you are to be here. Look around at your surroundings. Gaze at the nature that surrounds you. Notice that unappreciated multi-colored leaf everyone steps on. Take into account the little things in life because if you don’t, you might miss them.