The Little Things
January 14, 2013

Audrey Hepburn quote Present

I was the kind of person who always enjoyed having countdowns to things. “Only 100 more days until spring break” I would announce at breakfast. “Only 43 more days until summer break” I might say at lunch. I would have tear off calendars, count downs in my planner, and I lived life looking forward to the big events. The big events made me excited, and I looked forward to them. I thought that the big things made life exciting and important. Here’s a secret that I’ve learned. While the big things are important and exciting, they aren’t the only things in life. If we only focus on the big things, we miss many of life’s wonderful, beautiful moments. We miss the sunsets, delicious meals, tasty desserts, great runs, laughter with loved ones – all because we’re so focused on chasing down the next big thing.

I realized that once I started to be more present in my day to day life, I started to realize that the little things were just as important to me. I realized that I’m less stressed and more happy when I try to find joy in the little things that are present in my life. You see, when we aren’t present, we miss all those little things that, together, make our life pretty great. When we’re focused on the past or the future too much, we miss actually living our life.

I’m not perfect at this. I try very hard to remain present as often as I can. Of course I look back on the past because there are good memories and lessons to be learned. I plan for the future, dream, and try to reach goals. These things are good and healthy, as long as they are balanced with being focused on the present in which we are living.

So, would you join me in trying to be more present in life this year?

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4 responses to “Mental Health Monday: On Being Present”

  1. noshingonasphalt says:
    January 14, 2013 at 10:51 pm

    Ouch, this post just called me out. I have a tendency to live life on the countdown, always chasing the next thing on the horizon. Unfortunately, sometimes I feel a bit like a hamster on a wheel; just spinning and spinning but can’t get off without crashing first. Thanks for the reminder to take time and smell the roses. Great post, Caroline!

  2. A Year of 13 Challenges « Journey to Wellness says:
    January 15, 2013 at 7:46 am

    […] challenge myself to be present. (I wrote an entire post on this topic here). In high school and college I was always making count downs for the next big thing in my life. […]

  3. Kim @ Healthy Nest says:
    February 1, 2013 at 1:34 pm

    So true! I’m constantly working on this too.