Allowing the World To Turn by Kate Rich

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to live more in the now. It seems that I am always looking ahead to the next thing, thinking about what I’m going to do next, what I need to get done, and looking forward to the next exciting event happening in my life. Not everything needs to be a big deal. Learning to appreciate the little things and seeing the world in a more holistic light – looking at it in it’s entirety – creates the opportunity for a mental space in which happiness and presence can be found.

Learning to see the ‘little things’, those small parts of life that make it, isn’t hard, it just takes a little bit of conscious effort. First, take a step back, put down the phone, shut the laptop off, and just breathe. Then making sure that every moment is seen as one that is significant. Even just making coffee in the morning, and noticing how amazing it is that you were able to get ready for your day all by yourself. That is a victory. And finally, allow yourself time to not be the center of your own life. Allow the world to turn without you at the center, but with you as a passive observer. Taking those steps and applying them to your own life may enable those small things to start being a little more obvious, until seeing those small moments – the smell of fresh sheets, using a new highlighter, or making a really good sandwich – will become second nature.

I have been trying this. It is a slow process, but being intentional with what I acknowledge makes it easier for me to live in my life now, and being mindful of what I am affected by makes it easier to find joy everyday.