7 Reasons Why You Should Live In The Moment

7 Reasons Why You Should Live In The Moment

It's important to enjoy the present.
Gabriella Lind
Gabriella Lind Oct 17, 2016
3748
views

Living in the moment…

Although this sounds quite simple, human beings really do struggle with enjoying the moment. We all tend to spend too much time replaying past moments in our head or planning for the future so we miss out on the moments that are taking place right before our eyes. We need to become more aware of the beauty of the present. We need to stop in our tracks and take everything in that is around us. Life really does fly by, and if we’re all distracted by the past and the future, we will not be able to appreciate the magnificence that lies within every moment.

Yes, it is an important part of human nature to plan ahead. We set goals for ourselves because there are certain things that we want to achieve in life, there are certain things that we want to look forward to and get excited about. Our goals serve as our motivators, they add so much meaning to our lives, and they ultimately shape us into who we are. Living in the moment does not mean that an individual should not consider their goals. Living in the moment means being cognizant of what is happening around us and what we are experiencing.

What’s so important about living in the moment?

Being present results in decreased stressed.

When we become too consumed in our thoughts, we can become really stressed which can be very detrimental to our health. It’s important to stimulate your life with strategies that will enable you to stay more focused on each moment that you are presented with.

Planning does not always work out the way you want it to.

This statement really does hold true. Plans fall through all of the time. We are all human, so we make mistakes. It is just a part of life... we are not perfect. Planning everything out can result in anger and aggravation because the more that you plan, the more likely it is that your plans do not fulfill what you expected.

You will become a happier person.

Everyone wants to be happy in life…there is no feeling that compares to genuine happiness. When you immerse yourself in the present, you are allowing yourself to gain a new perspective on life, a perspective consisting of positivity, appreciation, and admiration. When your mind breaks free from thoughts of the past and planning for the future, it is more possible to harbor contentment.

You will worry less.

When you’re not focused on what needs to get done and how it will get done, you won’t have to worry all of the time. You have to push yourself to become more confident and believe that you have the ability to handle anything that is thrown your way. Stop second-guessing yourself.

You will enjoy moments for what they are.

When we are constantly reminiscing about the past, we tend to compare our past experiences with what we are experiencing now. You’ll be able to enjoy life more when you’re not comparing how things are to how they used to be or how they could be.

You won’t be disappointed.

When you don’t have expectations for the future, you won’t be disappointed by anything that happens. If you maintain an open mind, everything that happens will be a pleasant surprise. If things don’t end up working out, you won’t be emotionally affected because you didn’t waste time worrying about it anyway.

Each moment is truly the greatest gift.

Life is short. We don’t know how many moments we will be graced with. Life can be over in the blink of an eye. Since tomorrow is not guaranteed, shouldn’t we all take advantage of the moment that we are in? Stop taking moments for granted, plan only when it is absolutely necessary, and realize just how blessed you are to be given the opportunity to experience the moment that you’re in.

Cover Image Credit: We Heart It
Gabriella Lind
Gabriella Lind Oct 17, 2016
At Sacred Heart University

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I'm That Girl With A Deep Voice, But I'm Not Some Freak Of Nature

I have learned to hold back tears when someone tells me that I sound like a man.

Sydney Steiner
Sydney Steiner Oct 10, 2018
27027
views

My voice is deep. Always has been, always will be. I joke that rather than getting higher, my voice got lower throughout puberty.

My voice is deep. Always has been, always will be. I have learned to laugh when my family members say "Hi Todd" when they pick up the phone when I call. Todd is my brother. I am a girl.

My voice is deep. Always has been, always will be. I have learned to laugh when I have been asked by other females if they're "in the right bathroom" when I tell them "I'm not in line" or "someone's in here" when there's a knock on the stall.

Keep in mind that in most female bathrooms, there are no urinals present and there is a sign outside the door that says "WOMEN." Quite obviously, they're in the correct bathroom, just thrown off by the octave of my voice.

For the girl who asked me if she was in the right bathroom because she was "caught off guard and thought I was a boy," I'm just wondering...

What part about my long hair, mascara, shorts not down to my knees, presence (small presence, but a presence none the less) of boobs, and just my overall demeanor was not enough validation that you are, in fact, in the correct restroom?

My voice is deep. Always has been, always will be. I have learned to hold back tears when someone tells me that I sound like a man. Or, when someone calls me over to talk to their friends so they can see how "offsetting" my voice sounds to them.

My favorite story is when I was in a store, and I asked one of the women there a question about a product.

This woman had the audacity to ask me when I "went through my transformation."

She was suggesting that I was a transgender girl because of the sound of my voice. Please recognize that I respect and wholeheartedly accept the trans- population. Please also recognize that I was born a girl, still am a girl, always will be a girl, and asking someone if they are a different gender than they appear to be is not the best way to make a sale.

Frustrated, I told her that she should find a better plastic surgeon and walked out.

My voice is deep. Always has been, always will be.

And, to make matters worse, I am not your typical "girly-girl."

I die for the New York Rangers, have maybe two dresses in my closet but three shelves full of hand-me-down sweatshirts from my brother and Adidas pants. I do not own a "blouse" nor do I plan on owning one except maybe for business-casual occasions.

Naturally, when a deep voice is paired with a sports-oriented, athletic short-loving, sarcastic girl who couldn't tell you the difference between a stiletto and an average high-heel, I GUESS things can seem "off." However, regardless of the difference you see/hear, no one has the right to make someone feel bad about themselves.

What I always struggled with the most is how (most, moral, common-sense) people will never tell someone they don't know, who may be overweight, that "they're fat" or that they don't like the shirt that they're wearing. Yet, because my voice is not something physically seen, it has become fair game for strangers and acquaintances alike to judge and make comments about.

I used to break down into hysterics when I heard a comment about my voice, whether I was six years old or seventeen years old.

There are times that I still do because I am so fed up and just completely bamboozled by the fact that at the age of twenty, there are still people who just have a blatant disregard for others' feelings and a lack of understanding of what is okay to say and what is not okay to say.

But, just like I ask those people not to judge me, I suppose I can't judge them on their lack of common sense and respect for others.

I'd be lying if I said that the hundreds of thousands of comments I've heard and received targeted at my voice growing up did not play a role in my life. I used to want to be a sports broadcaster. I no longer want to be heard on the radio or seen on TV; snarky comments about my voice being one of the reasons why (among others, like a change of interest and just overall life experiences).

I'd be lying if I said that my struggle with public speaking didn't partially stem from negative feedback about my voice.

I'd be lying if I said that there weren't days I tried to talk as little as possible because I didn't want to be judged and that I am sometimes hesitant to introduce myself to new people because I'm scared my voice will scare them away.

I would also be lying if I said that my voice didn't make me who I am.

I joke constantly about it now, because half the shit that comes out of my mouth mixed with my actions, interests, beliefs, etc., would sound absolutely WHACK if I had a high-pitched "girly" voice.

My voice matches my personality perfectly, and the criticism I have and continue to receive for my "manly" sounding voice has helped shaped me into who I am today. I have learned to love my voice when people have relentlessly tried to make me hate it. I have learned to take the frustration I felt towards my voice and turn it into sympathy for those who have something going on in their life, and therefore feel compelled to make a comment about me, a stranger's voice, to make themselves feel better.

I've learned that to laugh at yourself is to love yourself.

And, I say this not for sympathy. Not for someone to say, "Wait, Syd, I love your voice!"

I say this because I want it to be a reminder for people to watch what they say, and use that noggin before you speak. I say this because I also want to be the voice (haha, get it, 'voice') for those who feel like they've lost theirs.

My voice is deep. Always has been, always will be. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

So no, I would not be a good alto in a choir because I think I'm tone deaf. And, when you call MY phone number, it is very unlikely that it is my brother or dad answering. Just say hello, because 99.9% of the time, if it's ME you're calling, it's ME that's answering.

Dr. Suess said, "A person's a person no matter how small."

Now I'm saying, "A girl is a girl no matter her octave."

Sydney Steiner
Sydney Steiner Oct 10, 2018

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The Era Of The Dual Income Millennial Challenges Stereotypes

For a generation that is considered subpar, there is nothing subpar about the work values which destroy stereotypes.

aemirycallum
aemirycallum Oct 15, 2018
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For the generation that is presumably lazy, narcissistic, unreliable and apparently conveys some sense of entitlement, I have never met more workhorse individuals in my entire life than I have in the past decade (myself and even my roommate included).

As a prime example, both of us work for two major theme parks, one major professional sports team in Orlando, and on any occasion, some work days may start at 8:00 AM and may not complete its course until the early hours of 4:00 AM. Most days we are but two ships passing in the night with our ever so hectic, never home, don't even have time to buy groceries kind of life. Twelve to fifteen hour days, multiple times a week and that is by definition the epitome of everything that deconstructs this stereotype that millennials are "lazy."

"Busy girls rule the world!" as my roommate likes to say, and she sure does make a point. It is not uncommon these days to be surrounded by millennials who have two, maybe even three jobs just to sustain their livelihood. The Department of Labor reported an increase in 2017 by 2% (overall population), a number which may seem trivial, but includes millions of millennial workers maintaining multiple jobs, proving to be a staggering number not seen in almost two decades.

Factor the rates of inflation, the cost of living, the eagerness to maintain a reasonably moderate and comfortable lifestyle and suddenly millennials are more consumed with work and less consumed with ideas of childbearing, major investments in the housing, financial portfolios, and savings, as well as traveling because the notion of just maintaining heads above water and living "paycheck to paycheck" is just the daily struggle to survive.

And for those millennials attending a post higher educational institution concurrently (while maintaining multiple jobs), the necessity to maintain continuity of acceptable grades, while achieving some adequacy in our finances becomes a bit of an undertaking, not impossible by any means, but certainly a headache at times (metaphorically and literally). So to speak such sacrilegious blasphemy in saying millennials are unreliable leaves something to be said, as most of us are just trying to move up the workforce ladder, do well in school (and maybe have some time to sleep), all while trying to maintain our sanity.

As far as our "sense of entitlement" as millennials, there seems to be some misconception that we expect everything to be handed to us on a silver platter. If that notion isn't laughable on its own, I cannot imagine what else could very well be equally as misleading. The only sense of entitlement we truly feel is this notion to be treated as productive adults, not to be mocked for our efforts and our choices to be independent, fierce, and open-minded, not to be judged by the harsh individuals that makes such claims that millennials lack the mentality to be successful in this world.

Don't judge a book by its cover. That so-called "useless millennial" you are judging probably has three jobs and has the superpower of functioning off 4 hours of sleep.

aemirycallum
aemirycallum Oct 15, 2018
At Orlando, Florida

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