We are quick to jump to the conclusion that "the lord is
testing us" when a week seems to be too much of a roller coaster you didn't
think you were waiting in line for. We count down the days until Friday and
guarantee ourselves everything will be better once the weekend begins.
A majority of us are looking forward to the next time we are going out of town, or frankly, the nice long nap we are going to take. And, if we do take the time to stop and look around and be thankful for something, we all say the same thing. The immediate response is usually friends or family. But other than Thanksgiving, a day we usually spend most of the time shoving our faces, when was the last time you really sat down and thought about all that you have going for you, even the little things?
I mean many of the things that really count in our heart (or can at least put a little smile on our face) often go unseen by our tired eyes. Such as…
1. Homemade mac n' cheese.
2. Cold water after a long workout is the tastiest meal.
3. The "go-to" stuffed animal or blanket – it will always make you feel better.
4. Disney movies.
5. ABC’s "Harry Potter" Weekend.
6. Meeting cool new people – yes, at first it’s scary, until you realize they could be a lifelong friend.
7. The smell of clean laundry.
8. Washing machines.
9. Long charging cords – one of these for your phone is heaven.
10. Cold breeze on a hot day.
11. Thunderstorms.
12. The sound of rain against your bedroom window.
13. The notes app on your iPhone.
14. The calendar app, as well.
15. The clock app – even though none of us want to get out of bed, the alarm app does make it easier.
16. Comfy sweats.
17. An oversized T-shirt.
18. Not being sick – we never notice how great breathing is until our nose is all stuffy.
19. Salty french fries.
20. Campfires with s’mores and good people.
21. A reclining chair/couch.
22. Pony tails – have you tried putting a rubber band in your hair? It hurts!
23. Driving with the windows down.
24. A package on your doorstep.
25. Chocolate mints or fortune cookies after a meal.
26. Mail with your name on it – especially if it's money and not a bill.
27. The Olympics.
28. A fully charged phone.
29. The smoothness of a fresh container of peanut butter, cream cheese, or butter.
30. Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies – the smell, too! I know you want some now!
31. The cold side of a pillow.
32. Seeing a cute puppy while you’re driving or on a run, although sometimes dangerous, I will admit.
33. Freshly shaved legs.
34. Your favorite reality TV show.
35. Warm bread – let’s be honest, that brown bread from The Cheesecake Factory is amazing.
36. An addicting Netflix show.
37. Your favorite song/artist.
38. Your favorite professional team – Go Hawks!
39. Dave Franco. OK, there are lots of good-looking people, but ya know what I mean.
40. A much-needed manicure/pedicure.
41. Babies that aren’t screaming/crying – you really appreciate this once you work in retail/food services.
42. Getting dressed up to go out.
43. A fresh haircut.
44. Pay day.
45. Funny jokes.
46. Smelly candles.
47. Freshly done eyebrows – the after part, not the whole "ripping hair off your face" part.
48. Long Face-Time calls.
49. Freedom.
50. Knowing there are people out there who love you.
There are plenty of things that bring a smile to my face. Hopefully many of the items on this list gave you that tingly feeling, and now you can come up with even more of your own.
The point is, even when life gets hard, there are so many little things to enjoy in the moment. Don’t spend all your time looking towards the future expecting for something or someone else to bring you happiness. The littlest things can do so much already. Be thankful for those.
