The big things in life demand a bigger share of attention. That’s just the way it is. Life is a neverending parade of “big things” to deal with. We need to plan them, manage them, monitor them and, all too often, we worry about them. It’s downright exhausting and incredibly distracting. It can drive us to skip over or rush through a lot of the little things that bring enjoyment to our lives. We can’t let that happen.
Want an example? Sure, no problem. You're working on a big project at work, simultaneously thinking about whether you should change jobs. You've got several office politics issues you're dealing with and one of your children is having trouble in math class that might mean getting a tutor. It's lunchtime and you stop in a place down the block and wolf down your lunch, all the while thinking about all of those other things. You don't even notice what you've eaten, and you're just as frazzled at the end as you were at the beginning.
Any big breakthroughs during lunch? I doubt it. That was just the sound of your machinery running at full speed. You missed a chance to enjoy something, and you denied yourself the opportunity to let those engines cool down and run better.
This is a call to arms. Take control of your view on the world. Savor the small stuff. Learn to hit the pause button in your mind and appreciate bite-sized moments of enjoyment. A fresh baked cookie, the flowers in someone’s front yard, an old song on the radio, a cold drink on a hot day or a gentle breeze at sunset. They may seem trite, but they’re real. How many of them do you let slip past you every day? How about on your worst day, when you need them the most?
Grab the little pleasures and savor them. They will give you a whole lot of strength to deal with the big things.