Stop and Smell the Roses
If you have ever met me, you know I love to take in each and every moment, no matter how small it might be. I was not always this way, though, and it has taken me a long time to realize we all need to slow down every once and awhile and live in the moment. I started to understand how important this was toward the end of my junior year of high school when I saw my time in high school was coming to a close. I realized the next year was going to be filled with a lot of lasts. My last fall speech, my last spring contest season, and even my last year serving as a chapter officer. But I also realized I never really stopped to enjoy those different moments for the past three years I had been part of them.
Over the past three years, I had been looking at what the next step was. Always asking the question, what was the next big thing I could be a part of? It never occurred to me that I was living in the moments that were worth slowing down for. We all know life can get pretty busy; sometimes it feels like we have a million different things needing our attention. It is when all we start focusing all of our energy on is all of these different problems and responsibilities that we forget to live in the moment.
I am not asking us to always be perfect when it comes to living in the moment. All of us have times of uncertainty where we can’t help but worry about the future. All I am asking is that we try to stop and smell the roses a little more often.