I don't have many vivid memories from when I was younger, but I clearly remember constantly putting my whole life in perspective with one thought. I would simply raise my arms closer to my face, look at my hands and think.
"How do I exist? How am I Angela? How am I thinking right now and how do I have this body?"
...And I didn't have the answers, but stood in complete childlike awe of my existence. And I grew older, it was easier and easier to get caught up with daily worries and to do's of life. And before I knew it I lost became so caught up in the little details, that I almost always overlooked the big picture of life. I lost that gratitude rooted in the simplicity of being alive, and joy in the little moments of being present. I forgot that each moment is truly a gift.
The next time I asked myself these questions was freshman year anatomy. I became infatuated with and in awe of the workings of the body as I learned just how truly miraculous, intricate, and perfect design of our body down to our tiniest cells. And the crazy part is we come from two cells and evolve into a person, not only with working body parts, but free will and a unique identity. Isn't that in itself mind-blowing? Anatomy provided explanations but not answers to how we exist in the first place. I knew there had to be a higher power behind it, there is no other explanation. And I would think to myself those same questions as when I was younger. How is my body functioning down to the tiniest cell right now? Something so complex and miraculous, yet so ordinary to us.
And now when I'm stressed and caught up in daily things of life, I look at my hands and ask those same questions when I was younger. I stand in awe of my existence and immediately the little thing that was bothering feels like a grain of sand. I remember that it is amazing that I exist, I am me, I have an identity, I can make decisions for myself, and I have others to spend this life with. Everything else is truly trivial.
I encourage you to try it. You can do it anywhere in legit 3 seconds. It will put your life in perspective, and I promise it works every time.
" How am I ____________? How do I exist? How am I thinking right now and how do I have this body?"
