Enjoy the little things

So often we go through life looking out for or waiting for those mountain top experiences. The truth is that most of our lives are navigated along the plains. There is nothing wrong with searching for the mountain top experiences of life, we all love them, and those moments are often the ones we treasure the most and hold onto for years. The problem is that they do all end at some stage.

That is why I wanted to speak more about the plains. It’s easy to be present and soak up all the wonder and enjoyment when we are on top of the mountain. How easy is it to miss the same beauty and majesty that surrounds us when we are walking the plains of everyday life?

It’s a challenge to me just as much as it is a challenge to you, to be more mindful in being present in every moment. Sometimes we need to slow down and see the beauty that is no doubt there. It’s hard to miss the big moments in life, they are usually very obvious, a new car, new job, marriage, kids. It’s really easy to miss the small moments. But what if the small moments are just as significant? What if these moments are the ones that really make up our lives? 

I’m sure there are many things you are currently missing that were taken for granted pre-lockdown. It’s such a great time to realise how much of the lives we normally enjoy are made up of the small things we usually don’t even give a second thought. The freedoms of going for walks on the beach, of not having to wear a facemask, and being able to visit family and friends.

I love that in the film Zombieland there are rules for survival and rule #32 is “enjoy the little things”. Even in a world infested by zombies the survivors deem it necessary to put this into their list of rules for survival. And I’d say it is necessary for survival, real survival. It can be the difference between us becoming a Zombie, plodding along aimlessly, and being alive and well.

The whole movie Tallahasse (played by Woody Harrelson) is in search of a Twinkie. It’s really comical because he’s this big tough guy who you would not want to get into a confrontation with, yet he understands the meaning of a simple Twinkie (one of life’s little joys, of which there are so many).

The small things are often the things we look back at and remember. Those movie nights with friends, learning something new, having a good laugh with a sibling or just a random smile from a stranger. These are moments we often forget to enjoy because we are caught up in the busyness of our lives.

“Sometimes the little opportunities that fly at us each day can have the biggest impact.” ― Danny Wallace (Yes Man)

Yes, I want the significant moments in life, those big moments everyone looks forward to. But I don’t want to be so fixated on the mountains that I forget to enjoy the beauty around me with each step. I know it’s cheesy and lame, but so often the truth is cheesy and lame. I want to learn to really enjoy each one of life’s little moments.

“Enjoy the little things in life because one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault

Psalm 16:11 – “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”