Aloha!
The other day I started exploring the things that will bring me peace. The activities that will help me to take a step back and just stop stressing out. Stress wrecks havoc on our bodies - we don't need scientific evidence to prove it. Thanks to my upbringing - I have a penchant for stress. So does the rest of America. We are a bunch of stress cases. I think in our fast pace environment, it is easy to get caught up in the go-go-go mentality. What I have realized in this way of thinking is we are missing the smaller things in life.
What are the smaller things? I think they change from day to day, but it is the things we miss which put a smile on our face. For instance, a few days ago, I was hanging out with Marley in the backyard enjoying the warmth from the sun. God blessed me with such an amazing dog - she loves the water more than me and Jason. She is also a ball dog! What better exercise for my girl than swimming for her ball in the pool. So this is what we did. I threw the ball & she swam to grab it and bring it back to me. We probably did this over 20 times. As I was standing there, going back and forth with the ball, I realized I was smiling. Not a thin-lipped smile of contentment but a full on cheeser-grin. I was having fun doing the simplest of things. Not only was I having fun but Marley had a big ol' cheeser-grin plastered on her face too. If I didn't take a moment in my busy schedule to just stop and enjoy this time I have with my dog, I would have missed out on that happy moment.
Later that same day, Jason and I went for a trek in the Anaheim Wildlife Center. It is really nothing to write home about but I realized how much joy it was bringing me. Also, I was out getting exercise. Double whammy. First thing I noticed was how quiet and peaceful it is there. In the middle of the hills with a sprawling city & houses all around, I felt so disconnected. It was fabulous! I seen a squirrel foraging for nuts, a duck floating in the water without a care in the world & a bunch of lizards scurrying across the trails. We passed by a few bridges, each with a small creek flowing beneath it. It was so peaceful, I was able to take video of the running water flowing swiftly pass.
You see, it is in taking a step back, just for a few moments, that let's us regroup and recharge our batteries. Life goes by so fast & if we do not take hold of the smaller moments in our life, then we are never truly living. You cannot work your way through life hoping to one day get a chance to enjoy these smaller moments. You must seize them now! Slow down, breathe & enjoy your life. What a waste our life will be if at the end we can only wish we could have enjoyed the smaller things.
Mahalo!
Brittany Bowman
"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the Big Things!" - Anonymous
