Just last week I (finally) finished a six-week, summer session of Calculus.

I filled six-weeks of my life only focusing on homework due three times a week plus, quizzes every week and/or a test.

I pressured myself into feeling like if I didn't dedicate a large portion of my day, every single day to the course I wouldn't pass.

I went from class to the library and from the library to the study lounge in my community.

Some days I had work but it was straight to the study lounge from there.

This may not be the exact case for everyone but I feel like we as human beings subject our lives to some sort of a routine as so to fulfill our responsibilities.

Everyday we decide to wake up and do the same thing we did yesterday with (maybe) slight variances because we need to do it in order to pay the bills, or get a diploma, or move out of our parents house.

We do this because it's easier than trying something new.

We neglect to notice the flowers growing outside our door or the hummingbird we can hear when we're getting ready in the morning.

We fail to go a different route on the way to work or school just to have a different view.

We abandon to add some excitement to our life.

We forget to actually live.

And I'm not talking about excitement as anything crazy I'm talking about a new, amazing recipe, or trying a different flavor of coffee, or using your lunch break to go for a nature walk.

Little things that can make your soul happy.

Little things that can improve your mood and the quality of your life.

Since the class ended I have had more free-time than I know what to do with.

I have spent every day baking in the sun either at the beach or the pool.

I've started to work out more and stretch my body out of it's tenseness.

I've learned new, vegetarian recipes. (I'm not even vegetarian but it's something new so why not?)

I'm seven episodes deep into a new, Netflix season.

And I have a mini-weekend vacation planned.

All of these things which have added the bit of excitement that my life was lacking.

The whole entire time I was devoted to my routine of Calculus I had yearned for the class to end so that I could do the fun things I have decided to do this week.

Now that I've done them I've realized that none of these things that fulfilled a feeling of joy that I was lacking for six-weeks takes much time at all.

I could have easily taken a break from assignments to take a couple laps around the neighborhood or cook something new.

Instead, I pressured myself into thinking that if I wasn't working on the assignments I was going to fail.

Instead, I decided to go through life without actually living it.

These six weeks reminded me to always keep in sight the little things that can make one happy.

These six weeks reminded me that life's too short to not live it.