Appreciate the little things.
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Cherish the moments that may not seem significant at the time
The instances when you feel that indescribable sense of happiness from within and just for a second, it seems like the universe may just have your back.
We tend to spend most of our time encapsulated in the stress and ongoing commotion of our everyday life. So much so that we tend to focus only on the destination rather than the journey. We jump head first into wanting to accomplish the most daunting of goals and often forget to celebrate the little milestones that helped us get to where we are today.
Take a second, stop what you're doing, and just remember.
Remind yourself of the insignificant moments that make you happy in the slightest manner. We're all going to remember the key points in our lives: awards assemblies, graduating, relationships, etc… However, in a few years, many of us won't be able to recall what I like to call the "small infinities." More so, the times where we feel that stillness in between the chaos and become aware of how great life can be.
Take pictures, videos, keep up with a journal, or do anything you possibly can to record the everyday moments around you. Anytime I'm hanging out with friends or just feel like I had a good day, I write it down. I write it down because in the future, I wanna remember and be able to reminisce on the perhaps almost forgotten memories of my past.
Don't take these moments for granted because you truly never know what the next day will bring. Tell your loved ones how much they mean to you, let them know that you care. Give your mom a simple "thank you" for making you dinner, or your friend for bringing you an apple one day because they happened to be listening to that time you mentioned you love apples.
Appreciate the serendipities that happen around you, welcome then with wide arms and allow them to remind you to count your lucky stars.
Appreciate that time your friend sent you something followed by the phrase, "This reminded me of you." Or the time a complete stranger offered to buy your bagel and coffee after seeing that you were short on cash.
Remember moments like when you've been sitting in your car with your best friend, talking for hours about anything and everything that comes to mind. Think about the time you laughed so hard your sides hurt and struggled to keep a straight face when explaining the context to someone.
Remember the really pretty sunset you saw outside your house, how the colors danced from orange to pink and the whole sky looked like cotton candy. Take a picture of it, because maybe one day you'll need that cotton candy sky to help you find a silver lining when you're on your last whim of hope.
Smile at that warm, sunny day you had been waiting for, for the fact that someone complimented your outfit, or that you heard your favorite song on the drive home.
Celebrate the small victories. Whether it be that you finally finished a book you had been dying to read, or you made a good grade on a test you were terrified for.
No matter how small, your accomplishments are valid and worth taking note of.
Think about the time you felt like you were having the worst day possible then saw a cute dog and instantly felt just a tiny bit better. Or all the nights you've spent watching your favorite show and just relaxing.
These are the little things I'm talking about. While they may not be specific to everyone, my point is that there's an infinitesimal amount of small minutes and seconds worth of memories that we decide aren't "important enough" or too mundane to be remembered. These small infinities help ground us. They bring the slightest bit of happiness in a world that can sometimes overpower us.
Appreciate the little things.
-
Cherish the moments that may not seem significant at the time.
The instances when you feel that indescribable sense of happiness from within and just for a second, it seems like the universe may just have your back.