Last Friday night, I was singing and dancing with 6 of my friends when something magical happened.  Breaking Free from High School Musical started playing.  The second this song began, it was like the room transformed and it was just my friends and I singing and dancing our hearts out.  In that moment we all escaped any stress or worries that might’ve been lingering in our minds from the previous week.

It was such a beautiful moment that we all shared together.  For some unknown reason, that song just connected us and left us feeling exuberant. After that song we all looked at each other and felt exactly the same.  That moment had bonded us and we were closer because of it.

Since that night, I realized it’s the little moments that mean that most.  It’s so easy to get caught up and overwhelmed in a large event, but we need to take a step back and appreciate the little things that make that time special.  For example, on that night that I just told you about, we had fun the whole time, but in that moment it was different.  We were present and aware.

Mindfulness is something a lot of us often rule out as being a waste of time or just pointless, but it really isn’t.  Being mindful is just taking in a situation for what it is and truly being aware of your surroundings and your own thoughts.  It has also been proven to improve one’s mental health when practiced regularly.  The best part is that there isn’t just one way to practice it.  You can meditate, do breathing exercises, or, like I said, just be present in whatever you are doing.

In an age where technology is so easily accessible–literally at our fingertips–it can be quite difficult to be completely aware of your surroundings.  It is so easy for us to escape any situation by just looking down at our phones, pretending to text or scrolling through social media, that we often forget to look up.

I want to challenge everyone reading this to take a step back, even if it’s just once a day, and recognize where you are, who you’re with, and how you’re feeling.  Take a deep breath.  Cherish these few seconds that you’ve taken out of your day and really see the moment for what it is.

So remember to enjoy the little moments, even if your day seems crazy, because it might just make it that much better.  And that my friends, is being mindful.