Let's create some more happiness...
My morning this month have started with reflections on happiness.
One of my favorite daily reading books, Daily Gratitude: 365 Days of Reflection, has been centered around happiness this month, and several of the quotes really ring true for me. Like this one:
“It isn't the big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little ones.”
— Jean Webster
The other morning I noticed the tiny spark of happiness simply from sprinkling cinnamon onto my morning latte.
Adding cinnamon to a latte isn't unusual, yet what might be is taking the time to pause long enough to enjoy it.
I’ve noticed the same thing during my skincare routine. There’s a difference between rushing through it absentmindedly and slowly massaging the oil into my cheeks, chin, and forehead with loving care.
The experience feels entirely different.
Even something as simple as using a pretty plate or cup somehow elevates not only the appearance of a treat, but my mood as well.
These moments seem almost too simple to matter.
And yet… they do.
Another quote I’ve loved this month says:
“Love the moment, and the energy of that moment will spread beyond all boundaries.”
— Sister Corita Kent
I think there’s something incredibly powerful in that.
When we truly savor a moment instead of rushing past it, the feeling lingers and grows. It feels like a soft melting in your heart space. It feels nourishing. It changes the emotional texture of an ordinary day.
Yes, the rest of life remains messy–there's the stuff piled up in my dining room for months while we are working on the laundry room and there's annoyance of spring allergies. Not to mention that things never seem to be where we want them to be in life... yet.
But for that tiny moment of time, as the smell of cinnamon hits my nose while I pause to appreciate that I "get" to have cinnamon on my latte, I'm present enough that none of the rest of the mess matters.
It seems that happiness is often less about creating extraordinary lives and more about learning how to fully appreciate the life already in front of us.
To pause in wonder at how the steam rising from a warm drink curls in space.
To listen to the crunch of your first bite of granola.
To sink into the comfort of your favorite chair.
To see flowers instead of walking by them.
To notice the magic of the softness of the first rays of light.
There are all tiny moments.
Yet they hold tiny pleasures.
Tiny shifts that quietly change the way life feels.
I’ll leave you with one final quote that feels like the perfect reminder:
“The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.”
— Richard Bach
Today, I hope you allow yourself to fully enjoy a few lovely moments.
Julie
I am learning to make a great deal out of the little things.
What We Loved This Week
Can't you just feel the joy coming from this little one?
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