When you live simply, days run together beautifully.  Evenings spent relaxing with a good book blend seamlessly into morning walks and late afternoon glasses of wine into… evenings spent relaxing with a good book.  It’s all well and lovely, but where’s the adventure, the drama, the stuff to tell grandkids about? In the end, are we wasting our lives by living simply?

Think back on your favorite memories of the last few years. Chances are, they revolve around vacations, parties, special events, and the like.  Less likely to come to mind is the time you sipped a glass of iced tea on the lawn chair.  Again, are our efforts to enjoy the simple pleasures mean we’re missing out on the kind of memories we’ll cherish years from now?

What Makes a Memory? Less Than You Might Think

If you thought I was going to say “yes” to that, you’re totally reading the wrong blog.  But there is a caveat.  Memories don’t just happen.  We can consciously play a part in making them.  One of the best pieces of advice I got on a special occasion was to take a moment to stop, look around, and take everything in.  If I didn’t, the day would fly by and I would have missed the forest for the trees.  That turned out to be true, and I’ve applied it to many more days since then.

Your conscious awareness of what’s going on around you—and your reaction to those surroundings—is the core of memory.  It’s not what’s going on around you; it’s whether you truly see it.

So the next time you’re sitting in the hot tub, enjoying the stars (I know, I wish) or spending an afternoon scrapbooking, take a few seconds to take in your surroundings.  Notice the way the air smells, the sounds around you, and the faces you see.  Spend a minute just soaking in the feeling of the moment without interacting or reacting.  Just be.

In the end, you don’t have to travel the globe to fill your life with interesting, satisfying memories. You just have to be happy where you are.