Life is about going through different moments, good and bad. A part of being human is having to face difficult times and choose how you will react. Have you ever heard the expression, “You have to stop and smell the roses”? If you haven’t, it essentially means that instead of rushing through life or things you need to take time to slow down and enjoy things. You can choose to find joy in the small and large things.
My entire life, even as a child, I firmly believed that you can find joy in even the smallest things. Despite the fact that I do think I am an optimist, I believe that finding joy is based on your willingness to. I find that I can often have my day turned around depending on if I got my favorite food that day, if someone held the door for me, if I saw a cute dog, if I found a cute shirt at the store, etc.
Life is made up of small moments that add up to living a large life. It’s important to take time to enjoy the little things in life. I try to implement “nothing is too small” into my day-to-day routine. Remembering that my life won’t last forever and the way I live it is up to me. This helps me to pick my battles, be more forgiving, practice patience, and show others kindness as much as I can.
I can speak from personal experience that sometimes my day can be made simply by being able to eat my favorite food, finding a cute item at the store, seeing a dog in the car next to me, and much more. As humans, our lives are finite and our time on Earth is limited. Although most people see this as a negative standpoint or as a bad thing, it isn’t. Knowing that we only have so long on this planet serves as a reminder that the small things matter.
The next time you are crossed about something, try to answer these questions:
- Is this going to be something I remember in a month or year?
- Does this hurt anyone I care about or myself?
- Am I truly upset about it or am I only frustrated for the time being?
- In the grand scheme of things, will this change my life?
Another way you can remind yourself to enjoy the little moments is by practicing P.A.C.K.
P – Patience
A – Acceptance
C – Consideration
K – Kindness
Whether you are in a rush or simply don’t feel like waiting, practice patience. It is okay to slow down sometimes and not run through the motions. Accept the things you can not control or change. There is no point in worrying or stressing about the things that you have no control over. Consider the feelings of others, and take into consideration that you don’t know the things someone may be going through. Finally, show the kindness to others that you would like to receive. Kindness and compassion for others can go a long way when interacting with another person.
Remember to enjoy the small things in life, question whether something is worth spending precious time worrying about, and P.A.C.K. up the negative feelings and choices you could make.
