A few years ago, like every kid trying to figure out life in chaotic world I had an experience, that would shortly help shape my life philosophy.  Now many of you have heard me say things like “be confident” or “give less f@$&’s”, but they all stem from one minor experience.

I was in college, on a wet and rainy day, walking from my final class of the day debating whether to do work or binge on Grand Theft Auto 5(we all know which one).  As I was walking in the rain with a good friend at the time we came across and area of the sidewalk that had flooded.  It’s was about 15 feet wide, and about 12 feet of it was covered in water.  As every other student funneled like lemmings into the small patch to not get their shoes wet, I saw an opportunity.  Simple as that I saw a giant puddle, and I took off.  I ran through the gauntlet kicking up water, my boots and jeans drenched, laughing and giggling at the simple fun.  In a time where the future is unknown, stressing about classes, friends, relationships etc.  it was a moment of peace, a moment of clarity and a pretty fun time.  I came out on the other side and looked, so enlightened from a 30 second trot through puddles, and everyone was still funneling, still blindly trying to stay dry (when it’s raining out, but that’s besides the fact).  The friend I was with finally reached me at the other side of the puddle and is embarrassed.  “You made a scene” she said, flush in the face.  And it was at that moment, I realized I didn’t care.  I had fun, I didn’t care if people saw this goofy bald kid running through a puddle in the rain.  I didn’t care what they thought, because I knew, that I was better off from the experience.  That I had fun, that I lived life and I ran through the puddle.

It seems we forget a lot about the simple little things in life these days.  We fall victim (myself included) to being glued to our phones, to worrying about what someone thinks or will say.   We worry and spend so much time thinking about what can happen or what’s coming next, that we forget about the simple things.

The satisfaction of a thin mint cookie at 2am.

That moment when you’re middle school jam comes on the radio on a long commute.

The satisfaction of on a rainy day, laughing like a child and running through a giant puddle, and experiencing life.