A while back I read the book A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen.  It was a short read… just an evening, but I loved what she had to say.   One of the passages that really struck home was:

“Life is made of moments, small pieces of glittering mica in a long stretch of gray cement.  It would be wonderful if they came to us unsummoned, but particularly in lives as busy as the ones most of us lead now, that won’t happen.  We have to teach ourselves how to live, really live… to love the journey, not the destination.”

Reading it brought back the memory of sitting on the sidewalk as a kid and marveling at the “glittering mica.”  I thought the sidewalk had a million diamonds inside.  As an adult, I usually walk up the sidewalk without noticing a thing.

When I read that passage I realized my life is what I make it.  I can be continually struck by the beauty of the many small moments or I can notice nothing but drab concrete.

What makes the difference is choosing to deliberately notice and enjoy the little things.

Life is better when I remember to enjoy the food I eat or the feel of sunshine as I work in the garden, or how glad I am to have a hot shower.  I am learning to pay attention to and love so many little moments in my life now… and as I do, I find that I am happy.

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