I remember the first time Charlotte and I had dinner in Boulder after we moved from Denver. We were sitting at a restaurant down on Pearl Street. The foothills of the Rocky Mountains towered high above us. We were so close it felt like you could reach out and touch the mountains. Coming from Florida, where I had lived my entire life up until moving to Colorado, this was absolutely amazing. We kept on exclaiming how unbelievable the mountains look at sunset and how great it was that we were able to move from flat ol’ Florida to take-your-breath-away Colorado.
A year later, I drive towards those mountains on a daily basis. Unfortunately, they no longer seem that impressive. After having seen them for 365 days in a row, I’ve become numb to their beauty. I realize this every time I show a visitor around. Nearly every time, we find ourselves near Pearl Street perusing the shops and restaurants. They see the same view that I saw not that long ago, and it takes their breath away.
It’s really a shame how quickly we can take something so beautiful for granted. When we originally moved out to Colorado, I promised myself that I would always appreciate the wonderful landscape that surrounded me, but it’s a hard battle to win.
What have you grown numb to over the past year or so? I’m talking about more than just landscape and scenery. It’s possible to grow numb to the amazing friends and family that surround you, taking their encouragement and support for granted. You can grow numb to the lifestyle you lead and the work you do, forgetting that other individuals aren’t nearly as fortunate.
My challenge to you (and to myself) is to take a few minutes out of your day to truly appreciate all that surrounds you. Take a detailed look at what you’re doing, who you’re doing it with, and where you’re doing it. I’ll bet that there are several aspects of your day-to-day life that you’re currently taking for granted. Stop because you never know when those special moments might disappear.
The above photo was my attempt to take in something amazing – the sun rising up on a hike up Gregory Canyon in Boulder, CO. You can see the town of Boulder in the distance. That cluster of red buildings is CU.