I think one of the saddest things in life is to see people who have never fallen in love with it.
Not with a person, but with life itself.
Whether it’s the grander moments in life or the beauty in the everyday, there is so much in life to fall in love with. So often people get to an older age and regret not living the life they wanted, for a variety of reasons. I’m not going to pretend that there aren’t sometimes factors that hinder people from living the life they want or falling in love with life. That would be naïve, and there are some things in life that we would rather forget we ever had to live through.
But the “good” times, or the days that just feel normal – fall in love with that. Find the experiences that make you feel alive, the interactions that make you feel human, or the little things that make you laugh.
I would say I’ve fallen in love with my life, and just life itself in general. I think part of this came from traveling, and experiencing what the world has to offer. Part of what I love the most about life is the fact that I can go wherever I want, or do whatever I want. My life is full of blank pages, waiting to be filled, and I get to decide what goes in them.
If I had to give any advice to people my age on how to fall in love with life, it’s to move to another city by yourself, whether it’s in the same state, across the country, or across the ocean. Part of why so many people go through life without falling in love with it, is because they grow accustomed to their routines and surroundings.
We get stuck in these routines and fall into patterns, which, on its face isn’t a bad thing. Everyone needs some consistency in their lives. But when we begin to see routines as just that, we stop appreciating the little things in our lives. We begin to go through the motions and start living to survive the day. When you move to a completely new place on your own, it forces you to create new routines and explore a new set of surroundings. It can be daunting or uncomfortable, but through that experience you will find the little things that you enjoy that will become part of your routine – the trick is to never stop appreciating what you love about those little things. Your favorite coffee shop, a meal you love to cook, or a park you love to walk through.
There are other ways to fall in love with life and part of the beauty of it is, it’s different for every person. The things that make you love your life won’t be the same as the person next to you. Everyone’s experience is different and that’s what makes it meaningful.
The only way to do it the wrong way is to not do it. Don’t go through life without looking for the little things that make it unique, or without doing the great things you dream of. One of the biggest things holding you back might just be your mindset, or belief that you have to conform to society’s expectations of you.
So go fall in love with your life. Go look for the little details in your day or the interactions you have that make it worth it. Go do that big thing you’ve been waiting for the right time to do. Change your perspective to one of appreciation of life and you’ll never look back in regret.