In the past few months my life has completely turned on its head. I went from being an insecure, bedridden socially anxious kid with no friends to the literal opposite. I’ve cured my social anxiety for the most part, started inviting people out, going to social events and meeting new people, and have started the process of building my tribe of friends.
As a former social anxiety sufferer, I can say that never have I ever had so much fun in my life, just talking to people.
It feels like magic. When you’re able to connect with people and express yourself openly and honestly… it’s something I can’t even begin to describe.
20 years of holding stuff in, being afraid to let others see your darkness, never feeling sure of how things will turn out, all of that is starting to disappear.
I still remember the day. It was my 10th birthday, my cousins were over to celebrate, I had my favorite mango cake, and all four of us (my cousins, my brother, and I) were completely engulfed in playing Pokemon diamond and pearl together.
We had so much fun, I must’ve been smiling the whole day.
When it all ended, I remember telling my mom, “this is the best day of my life.”
And that just stuck with me. For ten years, that day has remained the best day of my life. Sure there were good moments scattered here and there, but I didn’t care for them. I didn’t take any time to appreciate how precious they were.
I was miserable and I hated my life. I was lost and felt utterly hopeless. I didn’t think I’d ever have another favorite day of my life. Until now.
In the past few months, I started to peel the layers of my social anxiety off and started being much more socially active. By going out more often, I’ve realized that I’ve simply experienced more things and lived through more moments.
Moments are all we really have, and I’ve started to appreciate them. And to appreciate them, you need to understand what the moment is.
A moment is the present. It is the now. It is the here. It is the you being at this particular place at this time with a particular someone. It is not what happened in the past or what will happen in the future.
The best day of your life is not because of the day itself, it is the moment or moments that created the joy you felt that day.
My 10th birthday was a moment, an awesome moment I will admit, but it is no longer my favorite day.
From now on, my favorite day will be what comes next.
What comes next will inevitably replace your current favorite day with the fun-filled that just passed.
For me, every week is a blessing. It is magic every time I push myself to talk to someone and have meaningful conversation. It’s different for everyone. But whoever you are, may you appreciate all the magical moments life has to offer.
Thanks for reading!🙂
