Every spring I have a revelation when enlightenment and determination are unleashed within me and I take action. It was in the spring that I took the initiative to get my first internship in my field of architecture. It was in the spring when I had the revelation that I was losing passion so I sought out my next job to explore new passions in architecture. It was in the spring again when I took a giant leap of faith to become a Challenge Detroit Fellow. Now, it is spring once more in my year of Challenge Detroit. So what is my revelation? The truth is, I have yet to arrive at one. Now, I am in the heart of my Challenge Detroit Year. There is so much to take in and learn and experience! Challenge Detroit is helping me learn to embrace the moment in which I am in right now. The looming question remains: “What will I be doing next with my life?” However, instead of focusing on “what’s next”, I am learning to focus on “what’s now”. Being in the moment is an important skill to have, one that I am still getting the hang of. So, as a reminder to myself, and for what it is worth to whomever may have stumbled across this blog, here are a few insights that I have gained by experiencing “the now”:
- Life goes through cycles. I am not the same person that I was six months ago and will certainly not be the same six months from now. So how am I supposed to know now what I should be doing then? Being in the moment gives me a chance to catch my breath and assess who I am right now as an individual – not what I aim to be in the future. Self-awareness is so underrated, and yet so critical to individual well-being.
- Chances are, by paying more attention to what life is doing for me right now, life will direct me on the right path at the right time. I have always heard people talk about a future with endless possibilities, but really, today has endless possibilities. Each moment I live there is an endless amount of possibilities in how I choose to live it. Opportunities are approaching me every day. I just have to be mentally present to take them.
Some of the amazing people around me. Photo Cred: Chelsea Coss
- I am continuously amazed with the connections and relationships I am building with just by being in the here and now. (And yes, this can also loosely translate to having less interruptions from technology). Connecting to people is truly such a gift. Each person has his or her own unique story, own perspectives and insights. It is so engraved into our minds these days, including my own, that life’s successes all come down to “who you know”, networking and meeting that one person that could kick-start your future. But is it really about “who you know” if you don’t actually know them as a person? Focusing on the now not only takes the pressure off myself to find “success”, but it just lets me actually care about another person and hear about their life rather than focusing on my life in the future.
Looking at it now, a revelation itself does not have to become a major life change or some future attainment. Maybe my revelation this spring is just this: Embrace where I am right now!