Adventure #40: It's the Little Things in Life

It's true.

 

We so often look at the big picture.

 

But what does it matter in the here and now?

 

Sure, we all need it in our life.  The planning.  The long-term.  The future.

 

But not right now.  And I didn't have this intention set throughout my Adventure Day, rather, I came to a decision NOW that I need to make more of an effort to appreciate that now is only happening once.  I need to appreciate that now.  And somehow, these random pictures selected throughout my day are allowing me to appreciate this concept of NOW.

 

 

Here it is.  I awake to a pink plate of candy wrappers.  These mere memories of the night before are more than just the sweetness of the candy that they enclosed just hours earlier.  They are my reminder that yes, sweet things can always be present if I make the time and if I cherish them enough.  One of those sweet things is the frequent opportunities I have to Skype my boyfriend almost every night.  He supports me through all the way to the end of tough, long days, whatever may happen (or not happen).  This is such a great reminder as I wake up bright and early and force myself to actually tidy up these left (and almost forgotten) dishes/scraps each morning.  It's the little things.

 

Yes, that's the ceiling fan in my room.  Noticing that it is on when I wake up is a wonderful thing.  It means that at the end of January, Austin temperatures are in the 70's during the days this week.  That is such a lovely thing for heat-seekers like myself.  The fan remained on while I slept last night, and I kept it on while getting ready before work.  It's the little things.

 

 Ok, so today I appreciated the lil red bow ring that I have.  It has character.  It goes with the red bow that I wear so often (I wore it today, just not visible in the picture), AND I acquired the lil bow ring for free.  Why not appreciate the little victories like the fact that I now own something that I pulled off of a cupcake during a birthday celebration at work?!  It's the little things.  (PS--don't you love my hair sticking up in the picture to the right?!  Haha.)

 

So THIS...is me at the end of my Wednesday at work.  It was a long Wednesday.  It was.  But it definitely was an enjoyable Wednesday.  I had the opportunity to be trained as a civic reflection facilitator, and while it was by no means easy, I feel that I grew so much as a discussion leader, as a coach, and as a professional.  I really hope to apply these refined skills in the (near?) future.  It's definitely exciting and motivating, especially when I see the possibilities with my current students or future students in grad school and beyond!  Oh...and the picture above just represents that awesome feeling of getting to drive oneself home (30 minute drive), play whatever one wants on the radio as loud as one wants, and not be rushed in the least (unless you count the rush caused by hunger, because that was very present bout that time!).  It's the little things.

So yes, then I got home and found surprising appreciation in lighting the candle in the living room.  Such a simple, mundane task, but just having one candle lit in my presence soothes me so much.  I really love it.  I've realized that the smell of the candle doesn't matter.  The size doesn't matter.  Just the warm glow of the fire, burning so near to me yet not a threat in the least.  Even the scent after it has been blown out soothes me somehow (and again, the scent itself doesn't matter, I just enjoy that there IS a lingering scent).  It's the little things.

 

And then I take a picture of soup.  Yes, I appreciate a dinner of hot tomato soup.  It's a quick meal.  It's right in front of me.  It's very filling.  It fits into my special diet (I think/hope).  And it's simply one of my favorite things.  Who knew a can of soup could make me so pleased with life in this moment?  It's the little things.

 

Hey.  You should try this practice.  Don't even necessarily set the intention of appreciating the little things in your day.  Just snap pictures and then reflect.  It's at THIS moment that I most needed to pay the extra attention.  And I'm happy to announce that at this moment, I feel happy, calm, and at peace.

 

Thanks for reading.

Right here.

Right NOW.