It’s all about becoming the main character once more.
When I moved to Boston, my friends and I would often walk around the city and ride the train without a destination in mind. We’d get to the final train track and then decide what we would be up to that day. Doing this may sound crazy to some planners like I was, but it is one of the main things I miss about those days, and honestly, it made me change my perspective of life.
One day, we were waiting for our train to come, and in the middle platform in the station, there would often be people playing their guitars and singing, hoping to make it big one day or just bring joy to others. I used to love this about Boston, and it made me feel so special to be in the crowd as if I’d be part of the singer’s “rise to fame” story in the future. On this specific day, it was like time stopped for a hot minute.
I saw this couple dancing in front of the singer playing “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran. It was like no one else was there besides them. I saw they were wearing rings, so I immediately realized they were married. You must be thinking that they were teenagers, but they weren’t. They should have been in their late 40s, and they were enjoying each other. Watching that scene made me realize that most of the time, we have a scripted personality, where we plan every step of the way, evaluate each detail of our lives, and yet miss chances of being genuinely in the present moment. That was when I realized I needed to start romanticizing my life. I also wanted to randomly dance to the voice of Ed Sheeran.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always been a planner. I used to have all the steps of my life laid down from start to finish. I still do, but now I do it differently. I still know where I want to get and what I need to do, yet I decided to appreciate all the things that come my way during my journey to achieve my goals. Yes, it is like that famous quote:
“Life is a journey, not a destination.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
When the real meaning behind this quote started to make sense for me, it was the time I realized that it’s the small things and the memories that make life what it is, and if we don’t enjoy the ride, then what are we doing?
After that day in the train station, something changed inside of me. Most of the time, we think that we must suffer, face hardships, or even hide away from the world to get what we want. While in fact, that is simply a choice. We can still achieve what we want through love, talent, and challenges that lead to opportunities. And it’s not easy to come to the point where you realize that you can be happy along the way of seeking your dreams because we grow up in a society where romanticizing our lives means being innocent and naive. Naive are those that believe that happiness happens at the end.
To romanticize your life is to not miss a single opportunity of being happy and creating memories. For some time now, I have been like this. I’m always open to new things, and I love trying something new every day. Even if you have a fixed routine, doing things differently can help you realize that life is not stagnated. Take a new path to school or work, try a new workout session, listen to a different playlist, try fresh fruit, call someone you haven’t talked to in forever, say yes instead of no. This is what makes your life an adventure.
It is cliché to say, but we really are the main characters of our story. If you wouldn’t like reading or watching your life now, it is time to change. Take risks. Break the patterns. But stay true to your essence. Your life, your traits, your capabilities are not fixed. You can change anything you aim to, which is one of the most beautiful things you can do for yourself.
Romanticizing our lives is also about seeing what will make a difference for you in the future. Worrying too much about situations that won’t matter in a couple of days or weeks is just simply one of the best things you will change in your perspective. Focusing on moments that you will carry with you that will make you genuinely happy and grateful are the ones you should cheer and cultivate. Make time to create memories and trust that you will get where you want by enjoying the ride.
As much in a train ride, you can enjoy the view, the people in the train station and inside the train, listen to a great playlist, talk to your loved ones, write your thoughts, or you can simply wait to get home soon and start being happy there. When we enjoy every step of the way, things get smoother. We become open to others who share that ride with us and listen to our favorite song, not only hear it.
So, are you writing your own story or simply passing through it?