Have you done anything lately worth remembering?
by Jon Hilton – Day 16
Every day there are events that take place in our lives that we experience. Some are things we have to do, like work or eating. Some are things we choose to do, like exercise or hobbies.
All of these activities combine to provide us with the experiences of our lives. There are some that you will remember always and some that you will forget almost as they occur.
This is my attempt to become more mindful of what happens each and every day and to make it so that each day is an event to remember and cherish.
The Power and Problems of Routines
One of my major weaknesses as a human being is that I always try to put things into a routine. Organizing events in time so that they can be completed in the most efficient manner.
I have noticed the patterns I established in my life to do this. From the time I wake up, to where I stop on the way to work, routines are good for making you feel secure.
A routine will allow you to feel like you are in control and make you feel like you have some power, but in reality a routine can really be detrimental to your mindfulness of an experience.
This is because once you march through life doing the same thing over and over, you start to do it without even thinking about it. You are thinking about something else and just performing whatever task you are doing.
People even get into a routine of interaction with others where the same people meet and have the same conversation every day. You will know if this applies to you if you have a hard time remembering which day was which.
Change it Up and Live
Simple changes in your routine can allow you to appreciate the little things that you encounter each and every day.
I pretty much followed the same routine for about ten years at one point in my life. I could not tell you how any day was any different from another, except for the days where something happened to get me out of the normal existence.
Each of these moments I can recall with exact clarity, years later and it is because I was outside of the routine.
Focus on doing things Differently
I am not able to do it every day but there are some days when I focus on doing things differently. If I have fallen into a routine I try to do something different. Wake up early, wake up late, eat a different food for breakfast, take a different route to work or stop somewhere I did not plan on.
The reason that these things will become memorable is because as you experience something for the first time you are mindful of it. You can’t just go through the motions of something that you are not sure of. This causes excitement and builds interest in your every day life even if you are not doing anything Earth shattering.
Why Each Day is Special
For each of us there is a clock which starts running the day we are born and runs out when we pass away. There is no way to know when this clock will stop, it could be any second!
I have always thought that if we knew we had a few days to live wouldn’t that change the way you existed. Would you ever eat a meal that was so unmemorable that you can’t recall it two days later? Or would you cherish and savor every drop of delicious goodness.
If you have ever experienced your own mortality, then you know that each second becomes something wonderful to experience and hold on to. The sun never felt warmer, you remember the wind on your face. You know that you are lucky to be here and each moment is a gift.
You Choose What to Remember
In the end I think that if there is anything worth remembering it is up to you. You will always have the choice to remember today as the best day you ever had.
Or if you do not feel that today was a great day, then you have the chance to make changes in what you experience that will greet you on the next day.
I think that all of the things that I have experienced that have been unique, from the moments I spent talking to someone I had never met before to new experiences.
Everything I have done lately is worth remembering to me.
Have you done anything lately worth remembering?
I Remember YOU! Yes I am talking to YOU!
Related articles
What I Know #7. On Finding Adventure
