I can’t seem to keep my nose out of any of Brené Brown’s books lately (or her TED talk, or her two episodes on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday), and I recently came across this in her book, Daring Greatly:
“Joy comes to us in moments – ordinary moments. We risk missing out on joy when we get too busy chasing down the extraordinary. Scarcity culture may keep us afraid of living small, ordinary lives, but when you talk to people who have survived great losses, it is clear that joy is not a constant. Without exception, all the participants who spoke to me about their losses, and what they missed the most, spoke about ordinary moments. “If I could come downstairs and see my husband sitting at the table and cursing the newspaper…” “If I could hear my son giggling in the backyard…” “My mom sent me the craziest texts – she never knew how to work her phone. I’d give anything to get one of those texts right now.” ”
In the world of Facebook, social media, and celebrity obsessed culture, it’s easy to get the feeling that our lives don’t compare, that we’re missing out on exciting things, that we’re not traveling enough, or doing enough, or living BIG enough.
But the truth is, the living BIG is usually found in the SMALL.
Those ordinary moments might not even be obvious to us, because they are so much a part of our everyday routines. How your husband leaves you notes on the fridge……the way your girlfriend never puts the cap back on the toothpaste….the sound of your neighbor’s laugh……or your kids playing……grandma’s phone calls…..walks with your mom…….your coworker’s corny jokes……the cat scratching at the door…..nestling into that cozy pocket of the couch for your favorite program.
They are little, ordinary, everyday things. Things we probably don’t even know we’ll miss until they’re gone.
But let’s try. Let’s allow ourselves to see those ordinary moments of joy now. Let’s lean in harder to them. Let’s let them make us laugh and cry and be overwhelmed with beautiful gratitude.
