Everyone has snapped a part a delicious fortune cookie at the end of a meal and has pulled out the delicate, white piece of paper to merely read it and then toss it. Sayings like, “Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyways” always end up in the trash. We all have a good giggle and then move on from the brief moment of entertainment that the Chinese confection brought into our lives. But that is part of the world’s problem today. People no longer see things for what they really are worth. With 233 million cell phones, 208 million internet users, and 219 million televisions, according to the CIA Fact Book, the US clearly illustrates the “got to have it” mentality that has taken away the simple joys from our lives. Every person is constantly looking to the next moment to see what is in store for them, but by doing so that strips the present of the true gifts that are being given. The National Center for Health Statistics shows that the average life expectancy for a person in America is between 65 and 75 years of age. With all that time, what is the big rush? It is understandable to want to accomplish a lot of things in life, but there is no point in doing them if you do not take on each task with the utmost care for detail and quality. No, not only should a person do this only with their schooling or work, but everything. If a person goes on vacation, no good will be done if everything is frazzled and there is no time allotted to simply enjoy everything that is going on around him or her. So, step back. Take a break once in a while. Rejoice in the little events that combine together to form the plot line of our lives. In the famous words of Ferris Bueller, “Life goes by pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it”. Instead of always fixating on what you may be missing, look to what you are doing and feel lucky that you are able to do anything you please. The rush of the world is inevitably hard to steer away from. It takes a keen mind and a strong will power, but the more you are able to do it, the more you will start to truly enjoy life. Go crazy. Get out there and enjoy life to the fullest. Sometimes the moments that seem the least important, end up being the most significant. Do not miss out on something amazing because you were too busy looking the other way. So, the next time you are reading the little saying that you pulled out of a cookie do not be so quick to toss it aside; absorb its meaning and embrace life.