Day 6: The Little Things

How many times have you heard that it's about the little things in life? We are told this so often, however, what does that really mean? The little things...those are the things that can be so easily glazed over in our day-to-day march. That is why they are so important, they are easy to miss but oh so beautiful.

It has been one week since I got back from traveling to Europe and it seems as if I blinked the time away. How is it that a weeks time feels shorter than the eight hour flight back to America? Everything flew past at such a dizzying speed that it hardly seems possible that tomorrow is October 1st. Where on earth has all the time gone? Yesterday feels like it never happened and can we talk about August? Where did it go? Did it happen?

These were my feelings going into today as I hurled myself through piles of school work that had piled up from being gone for ten days. School in and of itself is a stressful task, but due to a bit of procrastination I left most of my assignments from last week for this week (yay me!). I hate having to rush everything at the last minute yet today I completed two quizzes and wrote five discussion board posts, all of the assignments for this week.

Since I started the fall semester of school it seems as if I have been running like a mad person at break neck speed down the steepest hill you can find. Everything has felt incredibly out of control and so stressful. Because of this the days have flown by as I rush towards...some sort of final destination.

Today I took a step back.

I finished all the school work due today, I went for a run, I put on makeup, and I sat down for well over thirty minutes simply doing nothing. It was in this moment I realized just how out of control I had let my life become. Every moment was like a frenzy and full of pure chaos. This one wasn't though. This moment where I simply sat down was pure and soft and can only be described as a little thing in life.

Curled up in the coziest chair I could find, I had music playing and my journal in hand. However, my eyes were locked on the scene outside of the window I was in front of.

The trees did not move an inch, everything was completely still and it lulled my heart to a softer pace. I sat and I hardly moved, for a few minutes I thought for sure I would drift to sleep yet I stayed fully conscious of the world in front of me. And it was beautiful.

Even during the chaos, even during the busiest moments of life there are moments like this to be found. It took me stepping away from a dangerous pace to see the beauty in peace. We should be more inclined to practice looking for the little things every day. The little things in life are just that. They are little, easy to miss moments that we often stumble upon.

They are the first sips of coffee had in the morning. A new song that instantly speaks to your soul. Watching the sun break through the clouds after a storm. Waves gently washing over your feet as you stand in the surf. Sitting quietly and watching the world go by. Hearing the birds chirp from their nests.

These are the little moments. These are the moments we learn about ourselves and what speaks to our heart. These are the moments that keep us sane when life becomes busy and these are the moments we have to be intentional about. They often do not happen when we look for them. But when we intentionally slow down for just a brief period of time, they are waiting for us.

So the next time life gets busy (this is as much of a reminder for me as for you), allow yourself room to stop running downhill. Take a break, look away and see what you can see. The little moments are all around us waiting to be seen, but if we do not slow down we will never find them.

Here’s to the little things in life. May we always make time to look for them.

Until Next Time,
Lillian Merritt