I think it is important to find the little things in everyday life that makes you happy. It is these little things that I have come to appreciate more and more. Put your phone down for a while, take a walk, enjoy the company of the people around you, do something random and don’t be afraid. Life is made up of so many small moments, so I thought I would share all of the small things that I have noticed in the past few days.
I noticed this week how soft the light coming into my bedroom in the morning is. It’s the perfect lighting to make you feel like you’re living lavishly, even though you’re just waking up.
When I embark on the World Race in October, I know that this will be something that I miss. I’ve noticed how my best friend’s sarcasm is literally the funniest thing in the world. On the other hand, she also gives the world’s best advice when needed. Now that I’ve noticed it, I thank God every single day for it.
I’ve noticed small changes in myself. I’ve noticed the thicker skin that I’ve acquired in my work, and how slowly I am beginning to not let insults get to me. I’ve noticed that I walk with a bit more confidence because I am learning small things about myself that I am liking.
I’ve noticed how I take all of my pain out into words on paper. I’ve noticed that a pen on paper does wonders for my soul, even if I don’t notice it immediately. The small things make the biggest difference in life. They are not fleeting, as big moments are. They are steady. They are not staggered. They constantly feed into my life. I only notice the small things after they are gone, and by that time I realize that they were actually the big things.
I feel like it’s become very hard for us as a society to sit back and enjoy the little things in life, especially things that don’t revolve around work or school or material items. While work and school are important, it’s also important to be able to break away from life’s daily stressors and just enjoy the simple things. I am so thankful to live in such a beautiful place in such a beautiful world. That’s not to say there aren’t tragedies that are happening around us every day, because the world can be really scary at times, as we’ve recently seen. Over the last hundred years, as our standard of living has increased, our willingness to risk has decreased. The problem is, without risk, we can’t experience the abundant life Jesus promised. We have to die to our small dreams of safety and comfort to lay hold of his big dreams. I think these tragedies emphasize the fact that we need to appreciate the little things in life that we often take for granted. Life is honestly just way too short, so it’s really important to just stop and appreciate the people and places around you instead of focusing on a new pair of shoes or something material as your main source of happiness.
It’s so much more than even that though. In my opinion, a beautiful sunny day is enough to get me out of a funk and it’s completely free. Life gets hectic, I know. It’s very easy to get caught up in things that seem like they’re the end of the world. It is so easy to lose sight of what is truly important in life. It is in our nature to always find something to complain about. It seems we are never satisfied—like our happiness is temporary. Ironically enough, the little things tend to be the most fulfilling.
Life is beautiful and it flies by, so just hit pause every once in a while and remind yourself to acknowledge how lucky you are and how much life has to offer. Sure, life has its lows but without them, would we truly be experiencing life to the fullest? After all, our hardships are what allow us to grow and gain new perspectives.
