My life has changed a lot this past year. Maybe it was turning 41. I was completely prepared to turn 40, it didn’t bother me, but I never looked past that to realize I would keep aging and things didn’t stop at 40. Turning 41 was much harder for me than I expected. Maybe it was realizing my oldest only has a few years of high school left and will be driving soon. Maybe it was realizing that my “baby” is in third grade and growing more and more independent. Maybe it was realizing my middle son will be in high school soon.

This past year I have learned to do and appreciate the little things. Life isn’t about all these really big huge, life altering events. It’s all about the little stuff. Holding the door open for someone. Smiling at people. Holding hands with someone you care about.

It’s also about the little changes we can make in our lives that have profound affects. Cutting out sugary coffee drinks was one that I did. I also decided to stick to Zone eating for longer than a month. It was a big change the first time I did Zone, but after I got used to it, it became an easy thing to do. Sticking to it really was a small change. I am eating anyway, why not just be sure it’s a healthy, balanced meal. Over the course of 6 months, I even ended losing some weight I had been carrying around since my first child was born almost 16 years ago.

I also took a look at some of my weaknesses in the gym. My list included a lot of bodyweight movements, specifically shoulder-intensive movements. Pull ups, push ups, dips, and handstands were high on my list of weaknesses, and something I never thought I could do or even wanted to do, a muscle up. I know many of you see me at the gym every day doing a couple reps of each of those. I can’t spend hours working on those things each day, my muscles fatigue far too quickly for that. But I can spend a few minutes every day working on those things. And a few minutes a day adds up to an hour a week, and an hour a week adds up to several hours a months. And after 3 months of doing those things, my strength and confidence have greatly improved!

We need to do these things with our mindset as well. Find many small bits of happiness each day rather than looking for a giant event. Smile at small children, notice the way the fresh air smells, appreciate the beauty in nature, compliment a stranger, buy a cup of coffee for a co-worker. You will surely find yourself feeling good after those things. It would be great if we could get flowers delivered to our desk or a raise at work every day, but those are special things that need to remain special because of their scarcity. In between those times, you need to find happiness in the little things.

There are certainly a series of big events in everyone’s lives – weddings, home buying, children, deaths, career changes and more, but we need to focus on living a happy daily life. Enjoy your cup of coffee in the morning. Relax for a few minutes before bed and read something for pleasure. Celebrate things at the gym – getting that first double under, finishing under the time cap, pushing yourself hard in a workout, smiling while suffering, offering encouragement to others. These are the things that will truly bring you happiness on a day to day basis.

Practice taking time each and every day to focus on something positive. To find something you enjoy. If you can’t, bring joy to someone else – their smile will be contagious. Life is tough. No one gets out alive anyway, as they say.

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