I love little things, which may be why I adore making and admiring miniatures. But as I
was reminded this past week, little things in our lives can likewise be worthy of admiration far greater than their minute size.
Big things in our lives tend to gain our focus. Milestones, like birth, marriage, death, celebrations and mourning, are often big things in our lives. These may determine the course and path our lives and personalities take. So they are, indeed, important.
However, little things are what make up the rest of life. Little things like how you feel at any given moment, what you do to fill your day, the things you say to others, the things that are said to you, these are the things that make up the majority of our life. While there may be only a few really big things or hugely significant events in our lives, there are millions of little things, and therefore in sheer number they could overwhelm any of the rest.
I say this because I think we should be grateful for the little things. I think we should pay more attention to them, and allot greater value because of not only the cumulative effect they will have, but also because they can make your life better.
It’s easy enough to get discouraged, to get down. Big events or little happenings can contribute to this. That’s normal. But it’s perhaps the little things in our lives which can have a big impact. I say this because last week I had a surprising pleasantness arrive in my inbox with compliments and a friendly greeting. It wasn’t much, no, and the person who sent it undoubtedly did it with little thought. But it made me feel good. On a dreary, kind of depressing day, it was a spot of sunshine. And the more I focused on it, the bigger the bright spot grew. So much so, it made me feel good that day, and since I wasn’t depressed, it was easier to feel good the next day, which started to stretch out to a few days, changed my plans for the week …
Do you see what I’m getting at? That little thing – and allowing myself to focus on it and feel good about it – changed the outlook for my entire week. It wasn’t a big event. It probably mattered little to anyone but myself, but it had an impact.
Of course, little things (like tragedies and other huge calamity) can arrive in not-so-pleasant ways. A snarky remark by a loved one. A rainy, dark day. The good is always balanced by the bad.
However, if we choose to focus on the good, if we value and appreciate the little things which bring brightness, happiness, and warmth to our lives, they can easily outshine small annoyances, or perhaps even brighten a huge dark event. By focusing on them, we give them greater strength and power. And since it’s those little things which truly make up our lives, they can make a huge difference.
So, focus on the little things. Yes, perhaps you got a rejection today, but was it personalized? Is there anything positive you can take from it, other than at least you have an answer, one way or the other? Sure, it might be raining, but the plants are sure happy in it, and it does give you a day off to curl up inside, right?
If we keep on focusing on the little things, soon it could feel like our entire lives are more positive and made up of happiness and positivity, instead of the other. If nothing else, it’s
easy enough to do, and it’s worth a shot, isn’t it? So, shine on happy little events. Yay for small.
Comments? Ideas? Do little things make a difference in your life? Let me know.