It's the little things

All of them.

Society has a special way of sometimes blowing things out of proportion. It’s the biggest this or that. The biggest plan, strategy, issue, disagreement, or holiday sale (ever). It is then amplified in our minds, on our devices, and through our disconnected human experience.

Our brains are constantly overloaded with the messages, so it’s no wonder we lose sight of what is big, what is small, what is real, and what is manufactured. All leaving us very little wiggle room to make sense of things – especially during the holidays when every conversation seems magnified, every decision scrutinized, and every reaction or emotion gets overblown.

But does it have to be? What if we gave ourselves the gift and freedom to not search for the big, but embrace the small -- the moment, the every day, all the little things that bring us comfort, happiness, joy, and satisfaction. These are the things we can control. What if we started a new practice of placing our focus on the small things and then choose what we want to aggregate into the big things?

Start with the simplicity of a single breath. Then go forward.

For me, the simple things this holiday are even more special. Appreciating the changes in aging parents. Celebrating the one hand typing, instead of focusing on the arm post-surgery recovering from a tennis accident (yes, the court won – but I have learned so much in the healing process).

So for this message, I did what I do best – I asked my team of really amazing human beings (some social scientists, some creatives, some consultants) for the little things that fill their lives with joy. Here’s just some of what they shared:

1. Make time for yourself

2. Do something you enjoy

3. Give grace to yourself

4. Show patience

5. Be present in the moment

6. Do one thoughtful thing for you or someone else

7. Smile at someone you don’t know (it may be the only smile they get that day)

8. Find a natural moment of awe and wonder – even the sunset

9. Dream a dream

10. Play like a child

11. Savor a great cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate

12. Color inside or outside the lines – there is no judgment

13. Check in just because

14. Be positive, even when its hard

15. Write a note when someone least expects it

16. Give a hug – with two hands

17. Appreciate the quiet of a concert hall as the conductor lifts their baton

18. Walk a dog

19. Smell something that reminds you of your childhood

20. Listen to music

21. Listen to someone else

22. Fresh sheets at the end of a long day

23. Make time for a game of catch – with a dog, a child, or a friend

24. Write a “have a great day” note

25. Touch some’s hand

26. Walk barefoot in the grass

27. Say yes … and no

28. Call instead of text

29. Listen first

30. Find something to laugh at – even yourself

31. Go on a walk

32. Lift someone else up – just because

33. Leave something behind that doesn’t serve you

34. Really listen – to sounds, silence, or someone else

35. Say something nice “just because”

36. Celebrate small wins

37. Go to bed happy

38. Find the good even when it’s hard

39. Play a game

40. Offer help without being asked

41. Connect beyond work tasks

42. Offer a thank you or great idea

43. Check in on someone else

44. Be grateful, starting with you

45. Recognize when someone is showing up for you

46. Find your own inner peace and place of zen

47. Be a friend

48. Share a simple “I appreciate you”

49. Tell someone you love them

50. Remember to keep breathing

When we pause, we can see that we do most of these things naturally. We also recognize that all the little things don’t just impact us; they can change someone else’s day. We can override our brains and remind ourselves that the little things are really the big things. Actively pick one little thing each day. It may create a habit that changes everything in your mind and how you experience the good around you.

For the next 6 days, I am choosing to celebrate family, find beauty in every moment, give grace, truly be grateful, spread joy, and give love.

These things may be small. But there is nothing bigger.

This holiday season and new year, I hope that you find all the little things that fill your life, bring you joy, change your outlook, and change the world around you.

Brad