$1.29 changed the way I viewed my day.

It may seem ridiculous, but yes, my $1.29 spent on an iTunes song has literally brought a new perspective to my day.

Music holds a form of power and influence that I've never been quite able to explain. Putting on headphones, escaping from the world around you, and slipping into a menagerie of songs is one of the most blissful places to be. It’s incredible to be moved by not only the lyrics, but also the ebb and flow of the music itself. In a single moment you are swept into stories that speak to every part of you. No matter how many times you listen to a song, you can feel like you are hearing it anew each time.

For me, there is one artist in particular that comes to mind who embodies this idea of music.

Ed Sheeran. 

(You sir, are incredibly talented. Your lyrics cover a jaded heart with sweet, sweet melodies and make it feel a bit more whole.)

Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran

I keep playing it over and over. Every time my heart is stirred. It’s a beautiful piece about a love which looks ahead on its lasting promise to endure when the elements of time and reality settle into place. One of the reoccurring lines in this ballad goes, “I'm thinking out loud, that maybe we found love right where we are.” While this simple thought echoed throughout the song, it soon began to resonate in my own mind as well. 

I can't even begin to tally up all the hours I've spent wishfully planning and envisioning the way in which life's events would pan out - how I thought they should happen. Reality, the lovely gem that it is, constantly reminds me that I don't live in a world where everything goes according to plan. Looking back, I realized that most of my life I've been living out of the moment, rather than living in the moment. Jumping to the next stage in life, it has always been the way my thoughts work. While my mind is miles away I am standing right where I am and missing the beauty of the here and now.

I don't want to be missing the moments right where I am. I don't want us to be missing the moments right where we are. One simple line in a song, reminding me to soak in the minutes of the day I am in. One simple line in a song, reminding us to cherish the present.

Pause. Just for a moment. Think about it...

What if we were to start viewing our everyday moments as those that would bring the most beautiful surprises?
What if we found love right where we were, instead of searching for it somewhere of out reach?
What if we took a minute to appreciate the chapter of life we are in at this very moment?
How much more would we treasure the everyday?

Maybe we could find what we are looking for. Right. Where. We. Are.

Just doing a little thinking out loud myself.