Finding joy in the little things

Or are they the little things? So often, we relegate people, actions, and simple moments to the "little things" corner and fail to attribute joy to them, misunderstanding their value. It is not in trying to find the joy in the little things that our perspective is shifted; it is in understanding that those people, moments, and actions are the stuff life is made of.

When did you last skip down a lane or jump up in joy when you received good news, a hug, or simply a smile? We have made the conscious decision that those moments that should bring us mountains of joy are just mundane and not worth acknowledging.

And then we start drowning—drowning in the other little moments—an ill-spoken word by a coworker, an overlooked action, a conversation that didn't go our way. We give those other little things much more power than the actions that should be helping light up our day.

Now think about what this is modeling to our littlest ones. Take ten seconds to think about the impact of those actions, reactions, or moods shaping the minds and perspectives of the children watching you. And they are watching - you can be sure. Are we sharing the message, "Yes - I didn't like that (insert moment, person, reaction); I will process it and move on. But hey, remember the good thing that happened earlier today? Let's give that more space in our brain!"

I will be honest - in the journey I am currently taking in my career, I recognize more and more how I have intentionally or unintentionally deleted joy from my life. Reading articles, books, and posts about the need for and value of play and joy in a child's life has me reflecting on my own day-to-day life. How quickly do I want to get things off my to-do list? How much time am I dedicating to preoccupying and living in the past moment rather than living in the moment?

Let's intentionally look for joy every day.

Let's give value to those things that long ago brought smiles to our faces.

Let's find joy in all the things.