It's the little things...

There's a saying: "Don't sweat the small stuff".  I used to stress out about every little thing.  It was to the point that it would make my stomach turn.  It was ridiculous little things like so & so is late to pick me up, maybe something happened to them.. and literally, they were just 2 minutes late.

When I had a bowel obstruction in May 2012 and had a 9 day hospital stay, I realized that worrying did me absolutely no good.  Worrying that I had a bowel obstruction did me no good - it certainly didn't make it go away.  Worrying that I might need surgery did me no good - if I needed surgery, then I needed surgery and that was the end of it.  It's like a switch went off in my brain and it totally shut off the concept of stress.  I no longer feel stressed, and I hardly ever worry.  I can't say I never worry, that might be inhuman, but I have certainly decreased the amount of time I spend in a day worrying about this and that.  Life is what it is.  Good times, bad times, happy times, sad times. 

There doesn't seem to be a standard for how much good, bad, happiness and sadness one person will get in a lifetime.  Some people will experience a lifetime of misery.  Others will know nothing but happiness.  It is highly unfair, I must agree.  I feel like I've been through the ringer more than my fair share.  But life doesn't work on quotas.  You are dealt a certain hand and you must learn to live by what's in the cards for you.  So why not make the most of it when you do have control over the little things?

It is so easy to make another person smile.  Sometimes, you might be sitting next to someone who is having or about to have the worse day of their life and perhaps putting a smile on this person's face can make a big difference in how they will handle their struggle.  Say hello to a passing neighbor while walking your dog, hold the door for the person behind you as you get to work, give up your seat on public transportation for someone who looks like they could use it more than you. 

It's easy to make someone that you love smile; make their favorite meal, tell them you love them without paying so much attention to your iPhone, hug your kids.  Send a out of the blue text to a friend you haven't spoken to in forever, just because.  Say "I love you" more often.  Bring flowers for the hostess of your next friends get-together.

There are so many little things out there that are free but that we're often just too busy to notice because we lead such busy lives.  We're so used to be able to have everything at our fingertips that we often take for granted the beauty that is around us.

Put your phone, computer, tablet down for an hour or two tonight or tomorrow and look around you.  Can you name five things (aside from the obvious kids, spouse, family & friends) that make you happy?  Feel free to share yours below.

Mine: Walking around our neighborhood, baking a cake, watching 'FRIENDS", water(lakes, oceans) and a warm bath.