"Life isn't a matter of milestones, but of moments" - Rose Kennedy
The Little Things
It’s sunlight hitting my face. It’s my thirst being quenched with the first drink of water after I wake up. It’s the smile that appears whenever I see a loved one. It’s happiness that arrives when someone agrees to do a puzzle with me. It’s the calmness that is attached to the scent of a candle. It’s the excitement whenever I start a new show. It’s the support of others. It’s instant relief after turning in an assignment. It’s the comfort that envelops me when I receive a much-needed hug. It’s the sudden surprise when someone remembers a tiny detail about me. It’s warmth from bundling up during the colder seasons. It’s curiosity waiting to be conquered every time I read a new book. It’s the wonder in my eyes whenever I look up at the ginormous night sky. It’s laughter that erupts and fills the whole room during family gatherings. It’s gratitude for getting to live another day. Simply put, it’s the little things in life that make the biggest difference.
Rose Kennedy once said, “Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of moments.” People should not have to wait for certain milestones or significant events to happen for them to be happy or celebrate life. Life should be celebrated whenever and wherever it is possible to do so. From getting an A on a really hard exam to choosing to spend time alone to recharge, the beauty of life can be seen almost everywhere. Who knows how long it may be before someone reaches what they consider to be their next big milestone? It could be anything such as getting their driver’s license or getting married to the love of their life. As humans, we tend to save our joy and excitement waiting for these milestones, but in doing so, we forget to appreciate all of the little things that happen to us on a daily basis. Now, more than ever, it is important to take note of this. Sometimes, one might never achieve such milestones and still let all of the little things pass them by.
I think one of the biggest little things is having the strength to get one’s self up and out of bed every morning. For some, this might not mean much but for others, it can be one of the biggest struggles they have dealt with, are currently dealing with, or have been dealing with for some time. Having the energy to not only get one’s self up but then continue to live their day-to-day life without giving up shows real might. For months, I struggled with this exact thing. Hours wasted daily laying in bed, doing nothing but scrolling through my phone, constantly switching between various social media apps. I would go to sleep late, yet wake up early, and continue to waste my time rotting in bed. There was no ounce of motivation or encouragement to get up and get the day started. I could see the hours fly by right before me, and with every hour that passed, I told myself I would get up right then and there but failed to actually do so. It felt as if there was this invisible block called Inactivity weighing down on me. Its best friends, Aversion and Unwillingness, right next to it. Finally, after multiple hours of slowly sinking into my bed, I would throw the invisible blocks hiding in the form of my blanket off of me and get myself out of bed. It would mainly happen because I had to use the restroom or I realized just how much time I had wasted and guilt would take over. After getting out of bed, the day would drag on until it was nighttime and I was back in bed, ready to repeat. This miserable routine went on for months until one day, I forced myself not to pick up my phone right when I woke up, seeing as how that was what led me down the rabbit hole every morning. I told myself I would wake up and get straight out of bed right after, the sooner the better. For some reason, I had to mentally prepare myself for this, I kept thinking, “Okay, now you’re going to go… Alright, you can do this… It’s not that hard, just get up!” It seems silly now saying it out loud, not being able to get myself out of bed, but it was definitely a struggle during that time. I felt that once I had conquered this small thing, I was ready for anything.
Little by little, I saw myself improving. It wasn’t even because I had made some major change in my life. I just set a new goal for myself every day. Things such as getting out of bed and making my bed every morning, or rearranging the layout of my desk. They were small yet achievable goals so I would still feel productive in some way and build on it as time went by. I felt a happiness I hadn’t felt in a long time, and it was only because I was completing these little tasks every day. I looked forward to what I would do next because they didn’t require an abundance of energy and it still made me feel accomplished afterward. Soon after, I found a new love for the little things in life. Since I had experienced the impact they had first-hand, I felt it was important more people learn to appreciate the little things in life.
I believe once people realize that the little things hold a lot of meaning, they will not have to search for happiness as happiness will come to them. So many little things happen in the world every single day, but people choose to prioritize something that hasn’t even happened yet over things that are currently happening before them. They justify this by saying or thinking “Once I graduate, I can relax a little bit… once I get married, I’ll be happier… once I get this job, I’ll be less stressed… etc.” This is in no way meant to say that people should not have goals or not strive for those goals. It is merely a suggestion that people should learn to enjoy the journey that will eventually lead them to their destination. Yes, the path might not always be fun or include extreme happiness, nonetheless, it is part of the journey. How will we be able to tell the good from the bad if we don’t encounter both to help us differentiate between the two? We are only given one life for a reason. Appreciate the time you are given for you never know which breath will end up being your last.
Over the years, I have learned to value the meaning of life more and more. One thing I have learned to appreciate is that there is no time like the present. William Penn once said, “Time is what we want most, but we use worst.” This quote could not be more true and I feel that with experiencing a global pandemic, people have become more aware of this as well. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, before the world went into quarantine and lockdown, people constantly wished for more time to do things. More time to lose weight, more time to create art, more time to read books, more time to learn how to cook, so on and so forth. Well, their prayers were answered because for over a year, that’s all we got, an extremely deadly virus and a whole lot of time. It was interesting to see what people all around the world were doing with this extra time they were given. Many started new hobbies and a lot changed their lives for the better. Sadly, there were a lot of lives lost too, but the one thing we all had in common was adjusting to the new norm.
I hope and pray that with all that has happened since the height of the pandemic, with all the loss, that people have at least gained a new outlook on life. The understanding that life is precious, the people in our lives are precious, and the time we spend with them and/or with ourselves is the most precious of all. We don’t always have to do grand things or wait for huge moments to celebrate the beauty that is life. Sometimes, it’s just making hot chocolate with your mom, or starting and binge-watching a whole season of Survivor with your sister. It could also just be doing things by yourself or for yourself such as eating your favorite snack or looking at the leaves changing into the most beautiful colors during Autumn. Moments like these are what matter, the ones that make life worth living; it really is— the little things.
Word Count: 1475
Rose Kennedy once said, “Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of moments.” People should not have to wait for certain milestones or significant events to happen for them to be happy or celebrate life. Life should be celebrated whenever and wherever it is possible to do so. From getting an A on a really hard exam to choosing to spend time alone to recharge, the beauty of life can be seen almost everywhere. Who knows how long it may be before someone reaches what they consider to be their next big milestone? It could be anything such as getting their driver’s license or getting married to the love of their life. As humans, we tend to save our joy and excitement waiting for these milestones, but in doing so, we forget to appreciate all of the little things that happen to us on a daily basis. Now, more than ever, it is important to take note of this. Sometimes, one might never achieve such milestones and still let all of the little things pass them by.
I think one of the biggest little things is having the strength to get one’s self up and out of bed every morning. For some, this might not mean much but for others, it can be one of the biggest struggles they have dealt with, are currently dealing with, or have been dealing with for some time. Having the energy to not only get one’s self up but then continue to live their day-to-day life without giving up shows real might. For months, I struggled with this exact thing. Hours wasted daily laying in bed, doing nothing but scrolling through my phone, constantly switching between various social media apps. I would go to sleep late, yet wake up early, and continue to waste my time rotting in bed. There was no ounce of motivation or encouragement to get up and get the day started. I could see the hours fly by right before me, and with every hour that passed, I told myself I would get up right then and there but failed to actually do so. It felt as if there was this invisible block called Inactivity weighing down on me. Its best friends, Aversion and Unwillingness, right next to it. Finally, after multiple hours of slowly sinking into my bed, I would throw the invisible blocks hiding in the form of my blanket off of me and get myself out of bed. It would mainly happen because I had to use the restroom or I realized just how much time I had wasted and guilt would take over. After getting out of bed, the day would drag on until it was nighttime and I was back in bed, ready to repeat. This miserable routine went on for months until one day, I forced myself not to pick up my phone right when I woke up, seeing as how that was what led me down the rabbit hole every morning. I told myself I would wake up and get straight out of bed right after, the sooner the better. For some reason, I had to mentally prepare myself for this, I kept thinking, “Okay, now you’re going to go… Alright, you can do this… It’s not that hard, just get up!” It seems silly now saying it out loud, not being able to get myself out of bed, but it was definitely a struggle during that time. I felt that once I had conquered this small thing, I was ready for anything.
Little by little, I saw myself improving. It wasn’t even because I had made some major change in my life. I just set a new goal for myself every day. Things such as getting out of bed and making my bed every morning, or rearranging the layout of my desk. They were small yet achievable goals so I would still feel productive in some way and build on it as time went by. I felt a happiness I hadn’t felt in a long time, and it was only because I was completing these little tasks every day. I looked forward to what I would do next because they didn’t require an abundance of energy and it still made me feel accomplished afterward. Soon after, I found a new love for the little things in life. Since I had experienced the impact they had first-hand, I felt it was important more people learn to appreciate the little things in life.
I believe once people realize that the little things hold a lot of meaning, they will not have to search for happiness as happiness will come to them. So many little things happen in the world every single day, but people choose to prioritize something that hasn’t even happened yet over things that are currently happening before them. They justify this by saying or thinking “Once I graduate, I can relax a little bit… once I get married, I’ll be happier… once I get this job, I’ll be less stressed… etc.” This is in no way meant to say that people should not have goals or not strive for those goals. It is merely a suggestion that people should learn to enjoy the journey that will eventually lead them to their destination. Yes, the path might not always be fun or include extreme happiness, nonetheless, it is part of the journey. How will we be able to tell the good from the bad if we don’t encounter both to help us differentiate between the two? We are only given one life for a reason. Appreciate the time you are given for you never know which breath will end up being your last.
Over the years, I have learned to value the meaning of life more and more. One thing I have learned to appreciate is that there is no time like the present. William Penn once said, “Time is what we want most, but we use worst.” This quote could not be more true and I feel that with experiencing a global pandemic, people have become more aware of this as well. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, before the world went into quarantine and lockdown, people constantly wished for more time to do things. More time to lose weight, more time to create art, more time to read books, more time to learn how to cook, so on and so forth. Well, their prayers were answered because for over a year, that’s all we got, an extremely deadly virus and a whole lot of time. It was interesting to see what people all around the world were doing with this extra time they were given. Many started new hobbies and a lot changed their lives for the better. Sadly, there were a lot of lives lost too, but the one thing we all had in common was adjusting to the new norm.
I hope and pray that with all that has happened since the height of the pandemic, with all the loss, that people have at least gained a new outlook on life. The understanding that life is precious, the people in our lives are precious, and the time we spend with them and/or with ourselves is the most precious of all. We don’t always have to do grand things or wait for huge moments to celebrate the beauty that is life. Sometimes, it’s just making hot chocolate with your mom, or starting and binge-watching a whole season of Survivor with your sister. It could also just be doing things by yourself or for yourself such as eating your favorite snack or looking at the leaves changing into the most beautiful colors during Autumn. Moments like these are what matter, the ones that make life worth living; it really is— the little things.
Word Count: 1475
Heading HomeNovember 5, 2022 // March 9, 2023After sixteen long years, I finally travelled back to my home country, Pakistan. Having only lived there from the ages of one to three, I had very few memories to hold onto. Yet, when I stepped foot in my paternal grandfather's house once again, the familiarity of it all rushed through me. I had once again become that little child running through the courtyard with my siblings and cousins behind and beside me. When I went to Pakistan this time, I stayed with my aunt and uncle for four months, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I got to reconnect with my roots, embrace my culture, and develop a better understanding of who I am and what I want out of life.
Henna HandsSmall-BUSINESS // March 27, 2022With the love and support of my family and friends, I got the courage to start my own business on March 27, 2022. I have worked tirelessly since then to improve my techniques, better my understanding of the business world, and provide the best service I can to all of my clients. I am beyond grateful to have a job that is one of my passions because it makes it feel as if I am not working at all. It will take me some time before I consider myself a professional, but I am blessed to have been able to come this far.
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ABOUT me Hello! My name is Umayma Mohsin, and I am a hijabi, Pakistani, Muslim woman born and raised in the United States. I am currently a student working towards obtaining my Bachelor's degree. I have many hobbies and interests, and I look forward to what the future holds.
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