Why Small Moments Are a Big Deal

Life is filled with small moments – hundreds upon thousands of special small moments. Sadly, these smallies are frequently overlooked in favour of their broadcastable, Pinterest-worthy, envy-inducing, Insta-fabulous brethren; the big daddies that occur a handful of times during our earthly existence – if we’re lucky. 

Smallies, on the other hand, happen more often than Kanye West’s Twitter rants, albeit with less fanfare. Despite their unassuming demeanour (they rarely get a shout out or a hashtag), smallies deliver big time on satisfaction. And as we all know – satisfaction is the cornerstone of happiness.

Let’s see how they stack up:

• Smallies happen daily.
• Smallies defy expectation (in fact, we often take them for granted).
• Smallies add plotline to our stories.
• Smallies put the extra in our ordinary.
• Smallies feel good.

These can be anything from listening to Prince on full blast, that first cup of coffee in the morning or the deliciously satisfied feeling after a meal someone else made. Individually, smallies feel good; collectively they feel great, which is why you’re going to find the big news in your small moments.

“By discovering those small things that give you satisfaction along with your individual narrative powers, you’ll be able to find the story you were searching for all along – the warm highlights of that high-def, vibrant, vignette-edged, super-saturated life that you mistook for mere pleasantries instead of plot.”

Here’s the plan:

• You’re going to spend five to ten minutes a day, each day for an entire month, writing down the small things the make you happy.
• Start by getting your five senses in on the gig. List all the little things you love according to what you can taste, touch, see, hear or smell. This will get your creative juices flowing until you can riff stream-of-consciousness style.
• At the end of the month, review your notes. See if you can spot any smallies that create a pattern. Love the sound of your child’s giggles? Weak for your weekly yoga class? Harness these feelgood feelings whenever you have a speed wobble.
• Keep adding to your list until you’ve created a book of beautiful moments. At this stage, you should be feeling a power surge, as if you’ve plugged into the universal grid. This feeling means something. In fact, it means a lot.

By discovering those small things that give you satisfaction along with your individual narrative powers, you’ll be able to find the story you were searching for all along – the warm highlights of that high-def, vibrant, vignette-edged, super-saturated life that you mistook for mere pleasantries instead of plot.

By plugging regularly into these small moments, you won’t feel the pressure of having it all – because, let’s face it, you already do. It’s right there on paper. This is the magic we all seek. This is your happy medium.