At 13,574 feet in the air, with the state of Colorado panned out in front of you, it’s difficult to stand on the very top of that mountain and be in the same mindset you were in four hours ago when you started the climb. When I stood on the mountain with my sister and my father at my side, I realized that focusing on things in my life that are not even remotely significant is a waste of my time. I realized that it’s worth it to focus on things that make me happy, like scaling a mountain.

People are too often stuck in a routine, carrying out the same tasks ceaselessly. Enjoyment is being put on the backburner as we strive for success in the workplace or in the classroom, which is something I think is unhealthy for the human race; it is more important to live a happy life than it is to stress over school and jobs.

Obviously, it is beneficial to work hard to succeed in life, but I think somewhere along the way we all lost a valuable tidbit of information: if we only stick to our daily routines at school and at work, we lose all of our spontaneity. We lose a bit of purpose, for isn’t life supposed to be worth living? To me, living life to the fullest does not mean sitting at a desk all day; there’s more to it than that.

Life is meant for those moments when you’re standing on that mountain, in complete awe of both the landscape unfolded before you and how you even made it up there in the first place. The most memorable experiences in life can occur when you just get up and do something. Life is meant for traveling to places you’ve never been before or going on road trips with friends.

Your routine can only take you so far, so why not take advantage of unmanipulated circumstances? Be spontaneous; get out of your comfort zone and make the most of the moments you have on this planet.