MY ALEXANDRIAR

By: Alexandria Araiza

Aug 02 2011

Tags: improve or enjoy the world

Category: Life & Happenings

1 Comment

“If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.”
- E. B. White

Does this ever happen to you? Every once in a while I wake up contemplating what to do with the day I have before me. I’ve realized it’s a luxury to not have to go to an office or classroom at a specific time everyday like most people. But because I don’t, it’s harder to plan the day. Some days, I may want to write something inspiring, I may want to meet people who are truly doing good, or I may just want to hang out with my dog at Bidwell Park all day.

But no matter what I do, I feel I have an even greater responsibility to do something valuable with my time because I do have the flexibility. These past few weeks I’ve been volunteering at a summer camp for students at the Montessori school across the street. And even though I am making no financial gains from it, I feel like it’s been worth my time every second. And every second has truly enriched my life, as much as the kids’. It feels like I’m improving my world and theirs, all while enjoying it.

I guess it’s not so much that you have to wake up thinking about what you’re going to do to change the world for the better, but just do something that may change one person’s day for the better. Start there. And maybe you’ll find you can improve and enjoy the world at the same time.