I‘m flying down the freeway in my rental, the cool crisp Chicago breeze blowing in my window – and man am I in a foul mood.
I’m only 5 minutes away but I can’t wait to get home.
It’s cold, I’m hungry, I’m flipping through the stations and nothing I like is on the radio.
A long day of errands and rainy weather has left me soaking wet and beat.
All I want to do is get out of these clothes and into a hot shower.
I flip through the stations for what feels like the hundredth time when suddenly …..I hear a familiar guitar riff and my eyes lights up.
In an instant, my whole mood changes…
You get a shiver in the dark
It’s raining in the park but meantime
South of the river you stop and you hold everything
A band is blowing Dixie double four time
You feel alright when you hear that music ring
Dire Straits, Sultans of Swing
Note: if you don’t like Dire Straits, then for the purposes of this article, pretend a song you liked came on the radio ok? Let’s keep my taste in music out of this =)
What Made Me Happy?
Why did this make me so happy? I can watch the on Youtube anytime, and yet for whatever reason I didn’t. However….
The surprise made me happy
Everything felt like it was going so wrong for me – the wet clothes, being hungry, that even something as simple as finally finding a song I liked on the radio brightened up my day.
I think this spreads far beyond just a simple song though.
As I pulled into the driveway and sat in the car listening until the end of the song, I realized I had no right to be in a foul mood.
We take so much for granted in life, because we have it happen to us every day.
Here I was – healthy, financially secure, spending time with my friends and family – and I was getting upset over being late for dinner and a little rain?
Some days we have it so good, but don’t realize how much we have.
Our friends, our families, all the little things we take for granted in our lives.
We’ve got so much going well for us – and yet we instead get caught up focusing on the one or two negative things, when there are a thousand positive things that we take for granted.
Routine Is Boring – Even If It’s Positive
What it comes down to is that all these great things in our lives are part of your routine – and we stop appreciating it.
I can look out my window and see the ocean waves crashing on the beach.
The weather is always perfect in Hawaii. I see my friends and family every day, and truly there is nothing more I need to live.
How then can I make it so that I actually notice some of these things?
For starters, I spend a few minutes daily reflecting and being thankful for what I have.
While that has made me more mindful throughout the day as well, it’s mostly concentrated towards the times I have set aside to reflect.
So, here’s a way to realize what you have more often in your life.
Noticing, And Appreciating Through “Luck”
I truly am blessed and lucky in my life – and to help make it noticeable, I have added artificial randomness into my life.
The results have been astounding.
Mundane activities have become exciting for me.
- Shall I eat a banana or a kiwi? Heads for bananas, tails for kiwis.
- Audio books or music? Let’s roll the dice!
Just knowing that there may be one I don’t get makes me much more appreciative for whichever ones I do get.
And the best part?
No matter what comes up, I always win.
I Am Lucky – But I’m Not The Only One
I am so much more thankful for even the little things I have now.
Each of them is a victory unto themselves, and I get a chance to appreciate how lucky I am.
And you are lucky too.
Some days life can be difficult, and life can be unfair. You will have things happen to you that are unjust, and bad things will happen that you know you didn’t deserve.
Even the days things aren’t always going your way, there is so much in your life that is amazing or waiting just around the corner for you.
And instead of focusing on the negative – let’s make a real effort to be thankful for those important things in our lives that we take for granted, and we will truly miss when they are gone.