Finding The Beauty In Where You Are
I’m sure we’ve all been there. That feeling when you know you’re not where you want to be, and you’re not quite sure what you can do about it. Feeling uncomfortable, lost, lonely, or lacking direction in your current situation can be extremely frustrating and even depressing. And we don’t want that. Yes, it’s important to look towards the future and keep in mind where you want to end up in life, but in doing so, it’s easy to lose sight of your day-to-day reality. It’s tough to keep a positive outlook on your current situation when you know it’s not what you want. Here’s how to make the most out of where you are, stay grounded, and find the beauty in the present day.
Try something new
The percentage of us that are exactly where we want to be geographically is probably very low. I know myself, and many of my friends, don’t want to end up in South Florida for the rest of our lives. Yet here we are in Boca Raton. When I first moved here for college, in all honesty, I hated it. I thought it was flashy and overrated. My entire freshman year was a lot more of that—discontentedness in my current situation. Learning to surf was the first thing I did that made me like Boca more. It instantly became a very healthy addiction for me. I went from being bored in my apartment, not really knowing many people in a city I wasn’t too enthusiastic about, to having a hobby I loved that I could only partake in a town on the coast, like Boca Raton. I realized one of the biggest things you can do to change your outlook on where you are is to pick up a hobby. It sounds simple and cliché, but it’s extremely helpful. Find something unique about the place you’re living, something that’s not so easy to find just anywhere else, and embrace it.
Converse with people
Have conversations everywhere. Be nice to people. This sounds a lot harder than it is, especially after the past few years with so many aspects of our lives being completely online. We might’ve forgotten how to exist in the real world and never really remembered. It’s easier than we think. Strike up a conversation with the person next to you in the elevator, tell the person walking past you on the breezeway that you like their sweater, and smile back at the cashier in Publix when they tell you to have a nice day. There is joy to be found in the small things we experience every day.
Know that it won’t last forever
It’s important to strive for the future, but it is equally as important to slow down a little bit. Realize that no matter how you feel about things, your current situation is not going to last forever. Think about the fact that one day, you will end up where you want to be, and everything you go through plays a part in getting you to that point. Our lives fluctuate. The quicker we come to terms with the fact that bad doesn’t exist without good, nor the good without the bad, our lives become much more manageable. Take things day by day. Appreciate your life right now for what it is and what it is going to be with the knowledge that the rough patches don’t last forever.
Last, and far from least, find the beauty
Every place has beautiful things to offer if we are open to receiving them. There are always new lessons to be learned and new experiences to be had. The more we put ourselves out into the world, the more the world has to offer and give back to us. So, figure out what beautiful means to you. What pleases your senses? What is aesthetic to you? What makes you smile? Now get out there and find it! Look for it in weird places, places you might not expect to find beauty, and you might just be surprised. I saw a family of rats crawling out of the dumpster when taking the trash out at work. Now, if I saw this in my kitchen, I’d think differently. But in the moment, I saw their sense of family, community, and togetherness—and the beauty in that. Of course, it may not seem like it, but there may be just as much beauty there as in a warm cup of coffee and a good book on a chilly autumn morning. The beauty is always there, you just have to look for it.
No matter where we are in the world or in life, things can always get better. Don’t be afraid of putting yourself out there. Grab the bull by the horns, and have life your way. Keep your head up, try new things, have new experiences, think about things in new ways, talk with everyone you meet—find the beauty.
Strike Out,
Ryan Manney
Boca Raton
Ryan Manney is a Content Writer for Strike Magazine Boca. His hobbies amount to surfing, skating, writing, reading, and everything music. When he isn’t surfing, he loves watching and/or playing live music. He also likes to wear cool clothes. You can reach him on instagram @ryanmanney or email r.manney3@gmail.com
