Finding Stability
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Dary Phen is a sophomore at Dartmouth College, where she studies Biomedical Engineering.
The other day I met up with a close friend of mine in Boston to catch up about where we are in life right now. One thing that we talked about was happiness. As human beings, our only job is to do what makes us happy. It sounds simple, but still, it seems that is easier said than done. Why is this the case? What happens when we base our decisions on what makes us happy? |
Dary and her friend Veronica meeting up at Boston Common
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I ask myself a lot about what I want in life. The answers range from world peace and universal healthcare to the simple hope of health, both physical and emotional. Regardless of the specifics, the common theme is internal peace and happiness, so these have been what I choose to focus on. One of the ways that I work toward that goal is through meditation.
Occom Pond at Dartmouth College
I was introduced to meditation by one of my SHE-CAN mentors after spending some time with her and her family in the summer. After seeing its benefits, I decided to give it a try. I’ve learned it is a great routine to start my day off. It feels peaceful to set up a time to pause and sit with myself. Meditation has allowed me to be more mindful of my surroundings, enabling me to enjoy and feel connected to where I live. It has helped me to be present and aware of things that I would not normally pay attention to. For example, how many times do we actually notice the color of the sky or the cold wind that touches our skin? How many times do we actually enjoy the sounds of strangers’ laughter when we walk past them on the street? |
Dinner with friends
Getting sap from maple trees at Dartmouth College
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Despite being amazed by its effects, meditating has not been an easy process for me. There is so much more that I need to learn. For instance, consistency is challenging due to classes or other priorities that I have. Even when I have free time, it can just be hard to sit down eyes closed, without having thoughts rush in to overwhelm me on the spot. This happens because when we process emotions, we not only process positive emotions that give us joy, we also have to sit with the negative emotions too. This is a part of the learning process that I have come to acknowledge and accept.
Through meditation, I have found my stability, but not in the usual way people think of it. I have not found something that will remain constant. Instead, my stability lies in the comfort of knowing that it’s okay if things change and become unstable at some point. Consider Heraclitus’ words: “The Only Constant in Life is Change.”
Dary and her friends at Boston’s waterfront
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Dary at the Aquarium
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