We all live in a world where big things and achievements are always acknowledged and treasured. Planning for the future, setting long-term goals and working hard to achieve those goals have become our daily regime. But while doing all of these things, are we overlooking something? Are we too busy planning for the future, that we don’t have the time to value the small things that make up our everyday life? Are we so lost in the pursuit of our goals that we fail to observe so many beautiful little things that just pass by?
Living in such a fast-paced world, it is very easy to miss out on small things in our life and just go behind the big goals and dreams. Various studies indicate that people become happier from smaller and simpler things rather than big achievements. So, what exactly are these little things that we are talking about? It could be as simple as, observing the sky during sunrise or sunset, watering your plants and observing their growth, catching up with your friends or relatives, baking your favorite cake, catching up on some interesting hobby that you may have missed out on, so on and so forth. The list goes on, it is never ending! This lockdown has clearly taught me how life can be lived to the fullest even without having all the luxuries and entertainment. It has taught me to slow down, introspect, observe, learn and grow as a person.
So, what are some of the values that we can practice to recognize and appreciate these small things in our life? Firstly, Gratitude. This term is widely used, but do we really practice it? Gratitude has a quintessential role in all our lives. Research shows that cultivating gratitude results in harvesting happiness. Gratitude brings joy and comfort. It is one of the things that stems from within a person and not something that is forced upon. According to Dr, Brene Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, “Practicing gratitude invites joy into our lives. She further says, “It’s not joy that makes us grateful, it’s gratitude that makes us joyful”. Having gratitude not just brings joy but helps us in a way to slow down with our lives and be happy and appreciative of every little thing in our life. This can be done by having a gratitude journal (something that everyone is mostly doing these days!), or even doing it mentally, listing down 3 -5 things that you are grateful for, every day. It could be as simple as being grateful for a good night sleep, having a cup of freshly brewed coffee, or groceries being delivered by the delivery man.
The second most important tool is self-love. This is something that we all usually miss out on. Why? Are we so busy preparing ourselves for the future, that we cannot love and care for ourselves at the moment? Many of us might feel, that self-love is something that is very opulent and non-essential. Self-love and self-care are very important. Various psychological studies indicate that self-love and self-care are very important tools for our mental health and well-being. It not only brings us joy and happiness but also makes you introspect to know your likes, dislikes, interests, passions and so on. So, if you are someone who has not taken the time from their busy lives to self-love, it is high time you do. It is worth it!
Thirdly, stop comparing yourselves to others. Well, this is something that we all cannot stop doing, right? We are constantly engaged in the process of comparing and contrasting our lives with others. We are ceaselessly engaged in the process of the psychological phenomenon- ‘Social Comparison’. This may help us in some situations in terms of motivating us to work harder and bringing us back on track, however, it has its own repercussions. The incessant process of social-comparison may lead to self-criticism and unnecessary apprehensions about the future. Thereby, leading to a lack of appreciation and joy about little things.
Next, it is very important to be happy with what you have. This is very similar to the point stated above. When we do not actively engage in the process of social-comparison, we instinctively learn to be happy with what we have and what we are doing. My parents have always told me that ‘whenever you feel like you do not have something in life, look at the people who are less fortunate than you. That is when you will understand the value of your life and learn to be happy about it. This thought might seem very simple, but when carefully applied carefully, it definitely brings a lot of change within us.
The other important step is to observe your surroundings. Observing our surroundings might seem like something that we are doing every day. But if I may ask you, how much has your plant grown in a week? Do you have an answer? This means that we are merely just seeing our surroundings and not observing it. Observation is more than just seeing and noticing something. It involves both the vision and thought processes. Observation is not just a skill, it is also a way of life. It is all about feeling and appreciating things. As you begin to observe everything around you, you learn to live at the moment, appreciate everything little thing and be joyful.
Practicing the aforementioned core values will definitely help us in leading a life that is joyful and contended. These are some of the many things that we could do to admire every little thing in our life. This current pandemic that we all are facing, has definitely taught us a lot of lessons, this indeed being one of the most important lessons that I have learnt, hoping that this would bring a change in your lives too!
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