Savor the Simple Things

The days are long, but the years are short. I've heard this phrase so many times over the years. Or, maybe you're heard the old adage "time flies." My grandma used to tell me to enjoy every day because time just speeds up the older you get. I thought she was being dramatic. After all, it felt like forever until we got out of school for the summer! Little did I know...

The years do seem to speed up as I age. I was discussing this phenomenon with my husband and he believes it's because of the relative time we have left. A child, theoretically, has sixty or seventy years ahead of them so time seems to go by slowly relative to the time they've been alive. Since I'm turning 50 this year, I may have twenty to thirty years left, Lord willing. Therefore, my time is more limited which leads to the illusion of it going faster.

To make the time I have left more meaningful, it's important to savor the simple things.

Be present - So many times I find myself rushing to get to a doctor's appointment or waiting for the weekend so I can spend more time with my husband and/or friends, but all this does is amp up my discontent. By slowing down, I allow myself to focus on small things I may have missed otherwise.

The other day I had to go to the Social Security Office and found myself waiting in a long line outside while time ticked by until they opened. I had no other choice but to be patient and stand still, if I wanted to get my errand done. Looking around me, I saw a small beetle crawling across the walkway. At first glance it was just a bug; However, when I looked closer, I noticed it had a beautiful iridescent blue-green exoskeleton. It was actually quite beautiful. Had the office been open, I'd have walked right by it and not enjoyed the gift of nature right in front of me.

Be grateful - When we get caught up in the hustle and bustle it's easy to take what we have for granted. It wasn't but 75 years ago that some people were still without indoor plumbing, and less than that for central heating and cooling, or even all night television! There were many nights I watched tv until the station played the national anthem with the flag waving, then signed off for the night. Now, I can hold a tiny supercomputer in my hands and watch videos/movies/tv shows 24/7. Slowing down and finding something to be grateful for daily, is an easy task if we just look for it. It can be something as small as a hot cup of tea in the morning to something as monumental as overcoming adversity or the power of second chances.

The more we focus on what we're grateful for, the more our mind will subconsciously look for items to be thankful for. I've talked about the RAS (reticular activating system) before. This is the part of your brain that pays attention to what you deem to be important. So, if we decide it's important to find something to be grateful for, the RAS will continue to look for those items. How wonderful would you feel if you could be grateful in all situations life throws at you?

Find joy in ordinary moments - My husband and I go out to breakfast most Saturdays to a local restaurant. It's just a small thing, but the joy it brings helps foster our relationship. We get to sip on tea, eat a delicious omelette, and take the time to just focus on us. To reconnect and step away from the external pressures constantly vying for our time. Every smile and laugh creates a spark of joy in my heart that I can hold on to for the rest of the day.

Getting a phone call from my nephew always brings me joy. Just seeing the name flash on my phone makes me smile. The cool breeze blowing through the trees and over my skin on a warm day, brings me joy. A long hug from a friend or loved one, fills my cup. There's nothing extravagant in these moments. They're just simple ordinary moments that I've come to cherish.