The joy of excitement

On October 9th, 2005 I sat on my bed in my lonely room on the Greek island of Evia where tears were always on the verge of gushing down my face, writing in my journal about excitement. I had spent months prior to my arrival in Greece imagining what life would be like and how amazing it would be. I had no idea that I'd end up lonely and sad in a little fishing village. I know what it feels like to be disappointed and to have to deal with it, yet, to this day, I still get excited.

I'm a firm believer in excitement.

Wonderful fantasies cloud the brain. It's that feeling in your chest and the floating pictures in your mind of what might happen. Excitement consists of bottomless expectations. Expectations of unknown experiences that are soon to come. The experience of new places or certain events that will leave impressions on your life leave you giddy and hopeful.

While excitement is amazing, the moment it begins also marks the moment of its decline. The closer the actual journey or event becomes, the closer the excitement ends. The moment the experience begins, excitement is thrown out the window only to be replaced by the harshness of reality. While the experience might manifest to be even more amazing than what was fathomed (if you're lucky), the moment it begins, the countdown to its end does as well.

No one has the ability of knowing exactly what will happen in the future so we are all left with an imagination and the feeling of excitement. Reality is, nothing lasts forever. While it sounds pessimistic, it is merely fact. If reality turns out to be in line with one's fantasies and excitement, one must hold on to the experience. Cherish it and let it play out for as long as humanly possible.
If one is faced with an experience that is not pleasant, it is important to remember that, "it too shall pass" (my mother's wise words).

In the end, we must hold on dearly to excitement and cherish everything that it embodies because it fades quickly and is replaced by greatness or disappointment. Remember that no one can take your excitement away from you. It's an amazing feeling within yourself that makes you look forward to the future. It keeps you going. It's important.

So, get excited. Be aware of your excitement. Cherish it.