What does it take to make you appreciate your life just a little bit more? Why does it usually take a life shattering event or an illness to make us fully appreciate the simple joys in life? We have all heard this before but when does it really resonate? Today it resonated with me.
I have been thinking about the victims of the movie theater killing in Colorado and those at the Sikh Temple in Wisconsin. They did not know that day was going to be their last. And what if they had known – would it have been any different? This prompted me to look at my own bucket list. One of the things I have wanted to do is get in great physical shape, so I joined a boot camp.
I am now running around Central Park like a madwoman. Up hills, down hills; albeit slower than everyone else in my group, but I’m still doing it. And I have a really healthy glow on my face. As an added bonus, I have rediscovered Central Park.
Central Park, in the middle of New York, has an amazing energy where people are encouraging, joyful, and supportive. As I am trying to run up a hill, I have people yelling, “Go girl!” and I smile both on the inside and the outside. Huffing and puffing, I feel alive both physically and emotionally, and if today would be my last day I would go out with a smile.
I don’t mean to sound too “New Age” or impractical; it is just one of those moments in all of our lives which stand to remind us that if we’re 15 or 75, life can be random. Take a moment this week to think about something that would bring a little more joy to your life. Then don’t think it; do it. Do it with the joy and spirit of engagement that you won’t forget.