“ There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”-Albert Einstein
sound trivial but my experience is that very few people really grasp this. Of all the remarkable experiences and learnings of my travels, this is the one that I treasure most. In simple terms, it boils down to this: You do not have to accept the hand that has been dealt for you; you can change it, you can move on. You can choose something different. You can learn a different skill. You can develop a new habit. You can change your job, your profession, where you live, who you surround yourself with and even your goals. You can make a plan. Because when you travel, if you do not like a city, you move on. If you do not like a country, you cross borders. If you are in the wrong job, you change it. This is easy when you backpack. Of course, it is much more difficult when you are in a professional career with family responsibilities. But when you learn that you can actually do it at this shallow scale, you realise that you can also do it generally in life. You always have a choice. Yes, things do happen that you have not planned for, disaster can strike, life can be quite random and it is not fair. But to a large extent, our destinies are shaped by our habits and choices. Does it take courage to make those changes? It sure does, lots of courage, at times it takes blind faith – to change jobs, to change professions, to change cities. You know what you are leaving behind but you may not fully know what lies ahead. That takes immense courage. But you can move on. You do not have to stay where you are. Again: You. Always. Have. A. Choice.
Izak Smit
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And one of the choices we have, every day, is how we appreciate the smaller things in life. Albert Einstein famously stated,“ There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” Those who choose the second perspective will find remarkable experiences in the ordinary moments of everyday life.
Our senses are translators, portals to the nuggets and beauty that are on offer, every day. The smell of toothpaste or coffee in the mornings. A tranquil sunrise. The scent of flowers from a garden. The smile from a loved one. The energy from great teamwork in our professional endeavours. The satisfaction of truly having helped a client. The endorphins after a good workout. Magic appears when we taste more slowly and sample with more curiosity, when we hear the music that often hides in between life’ s ordinary notes. Ordinary meals become banquets, birdsong become symphonies. And those ordinary moments are perhaps life’ s true remarkable experiences.
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