Little things of joy

This journey is yours, enjoy each and every step.

Human tendency is to look for more…whatever we have, we want to have little more of it. This kind of thinking in terms of materialistic things could be considered as greed. However when we look for little more joy, inner peace, calmness, kindness, generosity and other aspects that could help us as well as people around, it is not the case.

I am all for the big goals, ambitions and growth. Working harder to get bigger house, better lifestyle, envying designation, good pay cheque, wonderful vacations, fancy cars, Gadgets, jewelry, wealth and great body & fitness, is well justified. We need to have dreams and work for them. While moving towards the targets, we should remind ourselves to enjoy the journey.

We need to ensure that when we reach those goals, we are healthy enough to enjoy them. Take care of physical and mental health on regular basis, instead of waiting for the dreams to come true. Whether the result of your efforts fetches you joy of achieving it or makes you feel that it was not worth of pursuing, you should have the satisfaction that the journey was fun.

There are many little things in our life which could allow us to have fun and take short breaks. Though it may look like deviations for the person who is focused on the task in hand or the next goal, lighter and playful activities will help us to rejuvenate and make us stronger. Whichever is of your interest, that triggers happiness in you: May be some hobbies for recreations, activities for fitness, self-care routines, catch-up with friends, cooking/baking, crafting, sewing, embroidery, spending pleasant time with family or friends, helping some one else, or just be with yourself.

In the hustle-bustle of city life, it is not easy to focus on these little things to refresh ourselves and have fun. Days are crowded with checklists and work/home demands. At times it can be overwhelming to think about anything extra for your own benefit, as the never-ending checklist takes away your attention.

While talking to a friend, got to know that she has her alarm set for every 15 minutes in the morning and each one is connected to a specific task. So, whenever it beeps, she would check whether tasks are getting completed in the daily order. These alarm beeps would allow her to control the tasks on hand and leave for office with some relief.

This is just an example on how our life is getting complicated and getting cramped with too many chores. Unless we take some time to introspect, it is difficult to prioritize. It helps you to decide on what you have to work, which could be delegated or omitted (lesser impact).

Taking time for yourself to appreciate the life and enjoy, on regular basis, is the key to maintain the energy and the strength that you need for the bigger accomplishments in life.

Life is not a sprint, it’s like a marathon.  You need to sustain energy and enthusiasm for the longer duration. Look for the activities that add zest to the mundane tasks. Make time for them and enjoy the little things.

—Anitha KC