Indulging in Sweet Simplicity

Sometimes it is the smallest of things that resonates in our hearts the most.

I have always been one to observe. Yes I enjoy indulging in conversation, yet I am the type that is more likely to watch my surroundings carefully rather than talk my head off. I remember in school, during lunch, when everyone bursts into a chaos of chatter, I was always the one person that would just sit and carefully examine all that was happening. The conversations, the facial expressions, the consuming hymn of voices that carried throughout all four corners of the cafeteria. I took enjoyment in simply watching someone laugh, watching friends finish each other sentences, watching the cafeteria lady smile at each student.

As an avid observer, I have realized that sometimes the simplest concepts, ones we don't even fathom because of the context of their simplicity, are often the most beautiful aspects of life itself. We, naturally, tend to ignore these simplistic pleasures, and of no fault of our own. We are passengers on a wild roller coaster called life; a roller coaster that often distracts us from appreciating every moment, every second of our days.

What I have also realized, is that the moments of my life where I have experienced the most happiness, have also been those moments where I reminded myself daily to pay less attention to the clock, and more attention to my daily surroundings.

At times when the world transforms into a suffocating merry-go-round, I close my eyes and ponder all that has a certain capability to transport my thoughts into a world of sweet tranquility: the color of the skies at dusk, the birds soaring high above the trees, the soft waves of the ocean brushing on endless sand, the gentle laugh of a baby, the warmth of a loved one, the words in a book or song that seemingly  takes my breath away, the photographs of complete strangers.

The small hand of a newborn.
The innocence of a child.
The vulnerability of a person sound asleep.
The radiance of a person in love.

A cup of tea on a rainy day, a deep hug, a deep cry, a laugh so hard that it shakes my body and makes me feel weak.

There are so many lovely moments that are so truly underrated, and there is nothing I wish more than to for them to be rightfully appreciated. These are the moments that remind us that life is so much more than what we wear, what we do, where we live, where we are from. It is the simplest of moments in a persons lifetime, that has an indescribable yet lasting impact.

I encourage you to remind yourself, first thing in the morning when you awake, to dedicate the day to truly paying attention to all the moments you would normally dismiss. Eat breakfast by a window, peer out to the vastness of outside, and watch the world come alive. Pay attention to other humans; it is such a fascinating moment when you no longer view an individual as another face, but rather as another person alive with their own name, their own family tree, and their own agenda.

 Refrain from simply glancing at the person at the cash register, but genuinely look. Look into their eyes, observe their features, and know that they are more than just someone ringing up your items,  but that they are a fellow human, with their own name and their own story. Smile at them and seek their eye contact when you thank them. 

Smile at a stranger; surpass that awkward complex (that I have quite often as well) and just smile at someone walking by. You would surprise even yourself, as to how many individuals actually smile back. That transaction from soul to soul is so harmless, so simple in it context, yet so overwhelming difficult to pursue. Why should smiling at someone we don't know be considered 'weird' or 'awkward'?

The days that become overrun with fatigue, or with a certain unrelenting feeling of inadequacies, are the best days to practice indulging in simplicity. It is amazing what actual observation can do for the mind and soul.

Life becomes a more beautiful place, when we choose to search for all the beauty within it. I know, for one,  that it is much easier said then done at times when the entirety of our universe seems to be crumbling all around us with no halt. Yet, I always drift onto a notion that what is more a satisfaction; what is more  a reward, than what can come when facing the ugly of life, yet deciding to welcome the beauty no matter how brutal the circumstance. What a precious moment for anyone, when they make a decision to destroy the darkness and stretch for the light.

I will always live by the characterization that I enjoy all things simple yet extraordinary. For what better way is there to live, than to actually live?

With that I sign off--XO Adri