Four years ago, as a sophomore in high school I was flying high. I had a boyfriend, I was Cross Country state champion, and I had just won homecoming queen…without even being present. I felt on top of the world, and I was entirely content with my life.
Obviously, looking back now, I realize these “achievements” and this “success” is just about as high-school-hero as it gets. However, when you’re 15 years old, all these great things are happening in your life and you’re feeling more popular than ever, it’s hard not to get caught up in the buzz of it all.
Because all of these great triumphs were happening at the same time (literally within the same week), my mother decided to have a conversation with me in order to get me to slow down and better process what was happening in my life. I thought it would be a “congrats!” party for Maddie. However, I vividly remember her looking me in the eyes and reminding me to “enjoy the moment.”
Enjoy the moment. It’s been one of my catch phrases since.
Success comes and goes and eventually valleys will be present in everyone’s life. When we are experiencing great successes, it is all right to be excited, but we must remember this momentary high is temporary, and inevitably a low will proceed.
When you’re 15 years old and your mom is telling you these things, it’s easy to brush it off and think you’ll never have valleys. It wasn’t until later in life that I have realized how beautiful her words that night were.
To enjoy the moment means to cherish every bit of it. It means that we should dwell on these current times; we should be happy for ourselves. We should be excited about what is happening in our life, and it is okay to want recognition.
For a moment.
The beauty of the phrase is that it implies these times are fleeting. There will be days when what we are experiencing isn’t fun; we will have moments we wish we didn’t have to “enjoy.”
These days, in college, the mountains and valleys come more often and usually mean a little more than the high school glory day successes and failures (and I expect this will only continue to be the trend throughout adulthood as well).
It’s easy to enjoy the successes that come, but what about the failures?
I have learned that “enjoying the moment” is applicable to not just my achievements, but also my not so great times. In fact, The Lord warns us that in this life we will have troubles (John 16:33). However, we are called to “glory in our sufferings (Romans 5:3),” because though we will experience trials, these hard times produce character and perseverance.
I’ve come to understand why we have troubles and how they can be beneficial, but, learning to handle them has been my challenge.
For me, what’s helped the most is cherishing the letting things; that is, finding joy in the mundane. This mentality has allowed me to “enjoy the moments” on even my darkest days.
Whether it’s a long day of classes, not doing too hot on an exam, fighting with a friend, handling family tensions, or coping with a breakup, I have discovered that there is joy to be found in our daily routines—and not just found, but reveled in.
My favorite verse is Psalm 16:11, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Whenever I am sad, angry, or wallowing in my own self-pity, I remind myself of this truth.
Then—and I think this is the most important part—I find some JOY.
Go on a walk at sunset.
Eat some ice cream.
Buy yourself a succulent.
Run for an hour. (Okay, just me?)
Jump in the pool.
Make yourself laugh.
Often times, we can say we want to be happy, but how often do we force ourselves to truly experience these joys?
So, enjoy the moment, friends, and remember whether you are on your highest mountain top or wandering through the deepest valley, these times are fleeting.
