In addition to taking pictures and coordinating social media here at the Courier, I also nanny. We all know that when you give a child a gift, he or she initially is more likely to play with the box than the toy itself. Similarly, I often notice that the children I nanny find so much joy in the simplest things. Somehow we lose that as we grow older. There is so much to think about, so much to do, that we get caught up in life’s "big" things and often ignore the "little" things.
A coworker recently passed along a link to a website that aims to help organize your house and subsequently your life. The first step in the process is shining your sink and keeping it shiny on a daily basis. Can something as simple as this really give you a sense of accomplishment and put a smile on your face even if the rest of your house is a mess? I say yes, why not? If nothing else, you have that shiny sink.
How can we regain the childlike attitude of enjoying the little things? For me, something simple like using a yellow pen — my favorite color — can really make my work day more positive. I schedule "me time" as if it were any other meeting or event, to ensure that I get relaxing downtime to myself to pursue hobbies, read a book, etc. — things that nurture my soul but could possibly get pushed aside because "there isn’t time."
Take some notes from your kids or go home and shine that sink. A lot of little things add up to great, big things. If you can find the joy in them all, you could be a very happy person, indeed.
