Appreciating the Small Things

     It’s so easy to get caught up in what think are the big things in our lives—missing a deadline, forgetting an appointment, losing a friendship, resenting another employee.  Our preoccupation with these things, however, keeps us from being happy, and from noticing and appreciating the unfolding of our days, exactly as they are occurring. We take them for granted, allow ourselves to fall into unconscious patterns of behavior and basically spend most of our waking hours in a semi-conscious state.  When something important enough happens, we “wake up”; we miss, therefore, all the little things which make up most of our days and that remind us that life offers many opportunities to be happy and grateful and to appreciate the small things.  What really keeps us from appreciating the many small things that happen to us at work?  How can we begin to value our work lives, just as they are?

 Being Everywhere but Here

    You don’t notice the beauty of your day-to-day work life because you are everywhere but here.  You spend most of your time thinking about things that have happened in the past:  big hurts, pleasant surprises, frustrating employees, embarrassing moments, and fun engagements.  You probably also spend a lot of time anticipating dreaded encounters as well as enjoyable plans.  How much time to do you spend thinking about a meeting where you will need to discuss problems?  How often do you spend time daydreaming about an upcoming vacation, taking a luxurious bath, attending a game of your favorite team?

None of these preoccupations are bad or wrong.  It’s just that they keep you from being happy in the moment and consciously appreciating exactly where you are!  You are blind to what is happening right in front of you, and lose the opportunity to enjoy the rich ordinariness of your life!

 My Work Day

    Most of you probably know that I have moved to Florida, and have decided to start my business here.  This decision means starting all over again, with few contacts and little network.  It would be easy for me to dread the work ahead, worry about who will talk to me, if and how I will generate work, what else I will need to do to be successful.  Or I could reminisce about how good life was in California when I didn’t need to make cold calls, when I had a client base and enjoyed doing the work (instead of spending most of my time acquiring it). 

    I’ve chosen not to spend much time on the past and future (except when it can inform what I am doing now).  When I find myself thinking about the past, sometimes I do indulge a memory and appreciate how it has enriched my life or helped me grow.  If I think about the future, I note whether I’m worrying (which is an unrewarding activity) or whether I have a concern that I should contemplate and seriously consider.  Most of my time, however, I note the thoughts that come up about the past and future, and bring myself to the present.  By taking this step, I find myself captivated by all the small things that I can appreciate each and every day.

     Already this day I’ve had a number of things to appreciate.  It was cool enough early this morning to open some windows for a while and enjoy the fresh air (before we relied on the air conditioning).  I had my favorite breakfast of crunchy kashi and soy milk… I received an email from a dear friend in Thailand, reporting on the progress of starting her new tour business… I called a fellow about receiving his organization’s training catalog, and we had a long and enjoyable conversation about training and development…While driving in our neighborhood, my husband and I once again marveled at the huge variety of palm trees that grow here; I’m excited about choosing some of my favorite trees for our new home. I noted gratitude for being in good health, for having a wonderful workout facility where we live, for having a good workout, for seeing a couple of people with whom I can exchange greetings, for seeing a woman who’s never made eye contact with me look up and exchange a smile with me and share a few friendly words…My husband and I discovered a new shortcut home…We learned that our home being built may not be finished until late October, but we are also very pleased that the construction manager has demonstrated his high standards for the work that’s done.  And my day is only half over.  How lucky I am…

     So how can you appreciate the small things in your life?  Pay attention to where your mind has led you.  Are you in the past?  Are you in the future?  Are you dreaming about what you want?  Are you worrying about what might happen?  When you notice what you are doing, just notice without judgment.  Come back to the present.  What do you appreciate about this moment?  If nothing seems obvious, how about noting how you feel, physically and mentally.  Notice your breath moving in and out.  Listen to the sounds (or to the silence) around you.  Now you are present.  Don’t let ordinary life, those precious small moments, pass you by.