Do what you will remember, even if its nothing ‘special’ at all:  

I asked my friend from Italy, who studies neuroscience, why our brain remembers specific memories over others, and he explained that it is based off the emotional connection with the moment or people in the moment, that deems an experience as particularly memorable. I feel as if it is so easy to get caught up in creating the most spectacular experiences in hopes of creating a memorable life, but that is the mistake of occasionally chasing the wrong thing. If we remember the most emotionally connected experiences in our lives, wouldn’t that be the quiet moments with our loved ones, the walks to school where we get to call a special someone, the joys of a new book, or the quiet moments of reflection when we wake up? Ultimately, understanding how we are created to live (shown through the design of our brain), inspires me to pursue these little moments of connection- even if they are mundane and quite simple. It can be tricky to give our attention to these slow yet significant moments while there is SO MUCH going on around us. That is the ultimate challenge of life, that we get to embark on.  

From my busy, finals week Monday, I am going to remember my walk to class, where I got to respond to my birthday messages. I won’t remember how many people texted me, or the exact length of their message, but I will remember how the messages made me feel. I will remember the gratitude of that moment of feeling so connected to people who live across the world from me! I will also remember my moment of recognizing the purpose in my strange season of life, when even buying facial serum is extremely difficult. Finally, I will remember the joy I feel writing to people I care about, rather than the hour I missed of studying. 

One of my most passionate and self-aware friends said to me the other day that she wouldn’t take back any of the intensely hard moments, because they make the intensely good ones that much better. She knows that she remembers the simple challenge in the joyful moments, and the joy in the challenging ones. If she will remember these seasons of life based off the reflection, growth and people in them- doesn’t that provide perspective of what we should give our focus to?  

Therefore, choose the people you spend your life with wisely. Not every moment will be drastically growing and life-changing, but it is the accumulation of these simple moments of connection that form who you are, and more importantly, what you remember.  

What in your Monday, will you remember? 

-Holly xoxo!