They always say don’t sweat the small stuff, that the little things don’t matter in the grand scheme of things. And, you know, they’re right to some degree.
Don’t sweat the small stuff — a “Read at 8:07 p.m.” receipt, an opened Snapchat, the guy you like not liking your selfie on Instagram. You know, the small stuff that doesn’t matter, that doesn’t determine what your future will look like, where you’ll travel to, how you’re going to change the world. Don’t sweat the small stuff man. It’s not worth it.
But, on the other hand, there is a certain beauty in the small stuff.
There’s a certain magic when you sit back and look at the world around you, as if you were just seeing for the first time. There’s a beauty, an appreciation, if you will, in the small stuff.
Look around you. Pretend you are just seeing the world for the first time. First, you focus on the big things: the trees, the sky, the cars and houses. But take a second to notice the way the sunflowers stand tall, reaching up to soak up every ounce the warm sun has to offer. Notice the songs the birds sing to each other from their spots, almost invisible in the trees. Stop to feel the warm air, snaking around your limbs and surrounding you like a warm hug. Stop to see the way the sun turns everything stunningly golden at 7:27 p.m., right before the sun dips down below the horizon. Better yet notice the way the blue pokes through the green of your better half’s eyes, or the shade of pink their cheeks turn when you tell them you love them.
Live, love, laugh — an ideal so famous, stemming from enjoying the little things. Live life as though noticing the little things for the first (and the last) time. Take the time to live as though today is your last day, commit the details to memory. Love the way the mountains turn purple as they fade into the distance, love the sound of a baby laughing, love the taste of a cold, crisp apple on a hot summer day. Love all of the details that surround you. Laugh at the irony that we live in such a fast-paced world and forget that there is beauty in the simplicity of the details.
There is an awe, a fascination, when we stop to notice the small stuff. And along with the awe are feelings. Feelings of nostalgia or happiness or excitement we associate with the details. Looking at the way the waves of the ocean crash on top of each other makes us feel peaceful or content or mysterious. Smelling fresh chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven brings comfort. The details are great, but the feelings make them memorable.
But don’t just notice the details about your setting. Appreciate the butterflies you feel tickling your heart when someone tells you they love you, love the moments when you’re surrounded by your family watching a movie, all sitting on the edge of the couch in anticipation. Loving the little things is more than noticing your setting, you have to appreciate the small moments in life, those moments that aren’t remarkable in any way, but are so simplistic and therefore so beautiful.
When we look back, we’ll remember the big things, just as we do when we look around us for the first time. We’ll remember the big events, the most interesting and obvious ones. But how cool would it be to look back and remember the details? Instead of seeing the large (and blurred from faded memory) shapes, we can fill in the details – the small stuff --and feel all of the awe and wonder what we felt when we experienced the details the first time.
Don’t sweat the small stuff, but don’t miss it either.
