What makes your heart beat faster that it makes you feel a powerful desire to take on the world? If you were to ask me this same question 5 years ago, I would have said, “Having a career that allows me to live lavishly and completely supports me in ways I never dreamed of, while having a closet filled with high-end items that closely resembles Carrie Bradshaw’s epic walk in wonder.” Now that I am older, my ideal outlook on life has changed significantly and I have my experiences to thank for that.  Although it would be nice to have all the things I once dreamed of, it doesn’t necessarily mean true happiness.  The past year has been a period of growth in terms of personal relationships and my own well-being and through this time, I was able to find what makes my heart beat faster.  I learned the hard way that I don’t need much to truly be happy and the details of luxury often times yield the same results, but lack the lasting effects that simplicity has to offer.  A wise man once said, “Possessions, outward success, publicity, luxury – to me these have always been contemptible. I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best for both the body and the mind.” -Albert Einstein