Monday, August 15, 2011

Stroll down memory lane

I have so much on my mind sometimes, I don't know how to focus. Best way to deal with that? Get out of the house and avoid studying for a while. I couldn't stare at Kaplan testing strategies any longer, so I grabbed my bike and went for a ride around good ole' Fort Collins.

I can't even begin to describe how many things I love about this town. My mother once told me that if I'm having a bad day, I should try to find all the beauty in the little things in life. She taught me to take my attention off my own struggles, worries, and concerns in order to find peace with the world around me again. I love you Mom- where would I be without you?

While on my ride around town, I thought a lot about how difficult it is to leave behind the comfort of a familiar place. I know my favorite baristas in town, places to get away for a moment of solitude, where to find beautiful gardens to gaze at, how to access miles of bike trails, the best time of day to go for a run, etc. I love that I can wave at strangers, stop to smell the flowers, pause to reflect on my life, and smile looking back at the memories I have made in this town.
Perfection & Beauty. Right beneath my nose!

I love that I finally had a summer to spend in Fort Collins. I don't know where all the days went, but somehow the peaceful summer town is bustling again with college students moving back up for the fall semester. I realized this is the first fall I will not be going back to school- and what an incredibly odd feeling it really is. My life is finally taking a turn away from what I always knew was going to happen. I knew I would finish high school and go to college. Although I am a little fearful of the unknown, it is an incredibly liberating feeling knowing that the pages in front of me are blank. Who knows what I will find to fill the pages with?

A lot of my other thoughts today were about wonder and relaxation. I have a hard time relaxing, and I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I'm always setting higher goals for myself. Although it seems silly to keep pushing myself, I am thankful for all the steps I have taken to get myself to where I am today. I hope that I never lose my curiosity and wonder about the world around me... I wonder if my education helped or inhibited me from doing that. Either way, I hope to always search for meaning and purpose in everything I do, while learning to give myself a break too.
How can you not be curious about this?

A beautiful ride through the oval at CSU.

A quote about relaxation, from one of my favorite books:
"When in doubt, relax. Be cool. Don't worry, be happy. Breathe in slowly, breathe out slowly. Think sweet thoughts. Think of your blessings. Hang loose. Melt in the presence of friends. Pray, sing, and make weird noises. Laugh for long periods of time. Hug for a long time. Get and give massages. Give up guilt, hate, duty, sacrifice, boredom, loneliness, fear, judgment, and formality. Plop down on a big pillow. Say nice things to yourself and to others."
Breathe in positivity, breathe out negativity. All is well in the world, you just have to find the time to look at it, focus on it, and let the goodness manifest in you.

Love & Light,
TMV

1 comment:

  1. First things first - Mom's are freaking awesome! Still to this day, being a 23 yr old man (debatable) a week doesn't go by without asking for some advice, or even just an emotional backboard!

    I'm glad you have a way to destress, if even just for a bit. Fort Collins is a beatuiful place in which every corner there is something to take your mind off life. People in old town, the painted electrical boxes, the buildings on campus, everything! I took a stroll in town my last night there, its super relaxing.

    That being said, it is a very strong characteristic missy, to always want the next best thing, to always have the highest goals set. Its a test of character really, to see if you are willing to just settle for what you have, or try for something better...

    Keep breathing, and keep enjoying the moment, the hardest part (for me at least) is to not forget that today is only for today, so don't wait for tomorrow.

    I tried calling you earlier, but it was probably while you were biking! Hope all is well!

    J.R.L

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