Interesting fact about what people value

Have you noticed how we come to value a moment or experience more fondly in hindsight than we do when we're actually experiencing it?

In fact, sometimes we may experience an event we find unpleasant at the moment, only to realize later -- perhaps when comparing it to other situations occurring before or after -- that it wasn't all that bad?

This can happen for two reasons:

1. We take the present moment for granted.
Perhaps because we're too busy dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, we fail to appreciate and live in the moment. Study after study shows that we're happiest when we're focused on the present.

2. We look back on the past through rose-colored glasses.
Perhaps the experience really wasn't as titillating as our memories of it might lead us to think. That's because, when reminiscing about the past, human beings have a tendency to filter out the bad stuff, leaving only the Kodak moments we tend to capture in pictures.

Nevertheless, one thing is for sure -- life is too short not to enjoy it as much as we possibly can.

The ball is in our court. We can either complain of being unfulfilled and let all our troubles put a damper on our day. Or, we can take full control of our lives, radiating optimism and making the most of every day we're blessed with.

And what better way to enrich our lives than by infusing it with exciting new experiences? There's nothing wrong with a little nostalgia here and there, but even better than reminiscing is experiencing something when it first happens -- then doing it all over again.

Do you agree?

Comments

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