Small Things Big Impact

We were on a ski trip with another family. They happen to have children the same ages as mine. I am grateful for their friendship, their love and care.

One night, we reserved for dinner at a fondue place. The four children sat together on one side, and the adults sat on the other of the table. There was this half a wheel of cheese mounted on a stand, warmed by a heated lamp. The whole contraption was set at our table. The idea was that, as the cheese was melted, we could take the amount of melted cheese we desired to eat with any food on the table.

It was a fun and stuffing meal. Since we enjoyed the company and the atmosphere so much, we also decided to order desserts for the kids. Chocolate fondue. The dish came with melted chocolate, strawberries, bananas and a few slices of cakes. I enjoyed looking at the children. Very blessed to have them and that they all play well with one another.

As the children were all enjoying dipping their food into the chocolate, my daughter, holding a chocolate-dipped strawberry, asked me if I wanted some. That really touched my heart for several reasons. My daughter loves chocolate. She knows I also love chocolate – actually, any desserts in general. She cared about me enough to share with me while she was having a great time with her friends. I think I taught her well, to be caring and considerate.

It has been a couple of days and I am still thinking about the fondue venture. I could have taken things for granted. I could have assumed that my daughter should have asked me or shared with me.

Appreciating things that go well, however big or small, generates something pleasant inside you. Since you are the one to choose what to put your focus on, you get to decide to focus on the little things to be appreciative of.

To some of you, what my daughter did may not be a big deal. It is not an earth-shattering act or a life-changing discovery, yet it is a much bigger impact than you think.

As I focus on what goes well in life, I spend more time and energy to look for those things, rather than dwelling on the unpleasant incidents. Even with situations which do not go well, I focus on finding certain things which went well within that particular circumstance.

How does this affect my life in a big way? As I spend more time looking for and focusing on more pleasant things and pleasant memories, I get to give pleasant emotions more air time. Would you rather spend more time in unpleasant emotions?

Pleasant emotions generate a sustainable and regenerative energy. It is far more effective in utilizing the pleasant emotions as your energy source. You get to feel better. You get to more efficient. You are less likely to be drained or burned out.

No matter what your circumstances are, you get to decide what you think about them. If you decide to focus on things you appreciate, you are going to enjoy life more. Things will actually go better for you. You get to be more efficient at work because you are able to utilize more sustainable energy. Each little thing you appreciate, the easier it is for you to look for more pleasant things. This is not to say that we are going for feeling only pleasant emotions. We are allowing ourselves to feel the whole spectrum of emotions, both pleasant and unpleasant. The more we appreciate the little things in life, the more we appreciate our circumstances, our friends and things happening for us. You will show up at work more prepared. You will be more efficient. You will get to have better connections with other people. Over time, the impact on our lives is tremendous.

Let us start with small things. Things you are grateful for. Things you are happy about. The more you seek them, the easier to find them. The more you allow yourself to utilize the pleasant energy, the more available it is for you.