Never Grow up - Appreciate the Small Things.

It seems like we lose appreciation for things that were once new and novel because they become familiar. But, we should try to remember the novelties and take nothing for granted. We should strive to experience life the way we did when we were kids.

There's this song from an Adam Levine movie where he sings "Youth is wasted on the young," and that lyric really stuck with me. Remember when you were a kid and everything was new and exciting? You were giddy about some seemingly simple things. For example, these things always got my heart rate up:

• toys in cereal boxes that I'd never use

• a tire swing in the park

• losing a tooth

• waking up to a dollar under your pillow for losing said tooth

But that doesn't happen much anymore. We've lost some of our ability to imagine things and appreciate the novelties because we've been conditioned to take things as they are presented to us. We figured out how things work so they've lost their remarkableness that once captivated us.

How do we get this back? Two ways.

First - Try new things and push your comfort zone.

When we're out of our element, it's inevitable that we run into some things that are foreign to us. This may intimidate us - even scare us - but when we push our boundaries, we realize the possibilities are endless. There will always be more things to try or learn. These experiences can lead us to discovering things we love that we wouldn't normally have known about. They expand our interests, our personalities, help us grow, etc. For example, if I'd never pushed my comfort zone when picking up a new thick book, I never would have discovered my love (obsession) for Harry Potter. I never would have gone to three movie premiers or flown to London and toured the movie set. I would have missed out on those great memories that I now reflect on fondly.

Push your limit and try new things that get your heart pumping. You won't regret it, you'll learn more and seek out additional fulfilling experiences.

Second - Appreciate the small things.

Be more mindful, especially when it comes to the everyday mundane things. When you wash the dishes, admire the sight of them being cleaned. Focus on the warm water running over your hands; appreciate how your fingers work intricately and thoughtlessly together. When you go on a walk, look up at the clouds and realize the natural formations that are constantly changing. Take a deep breath and feel your lungs expand.

Breaking down every-day life into this type of thought takes practice, but it can be extremely rewarding and enable you to realize how many things we typically overlook.

When we push our comfort zones and are mindful about our lives, we can regain some of that childish youth to really appreciate everything a bit more. Life is fickle, but we can make the most of it with a conscious effort.

Basically, smell the damn roses.

References: At Home in the World - Thích Nhất Hạnh