“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” - Marcus Aurelius
Have you ever noticed how it's the little things in life that bring us the most happiness? It's important to remember that the little things in life can make a big difference. Most of them cost nothing but are invaluable - the small actions, events, and gestures are the jewels for a fulfilled life because they can have a big impact on our lives, even if we don't always realize it.
Seemingly small things like someone holding the door open for you, the neighbor bringing you a pot of soup when you are sick, a bird singing its happy song at the top of its lungs, the first ray of sunshine after a rain, a bumblebee buzzing, butterflies flying from flower to flower, and the list goes on.
A blackbird singing, the pure sound is a pleasure to the ears and it has a calming effect on me and can even cheer me up when I am feeling down.
I love to watch fluttering butterflies and the way they dance with each other. It may look like random fluttering around each other, but there is more behind their moves.
They move so elegant and they seem fragile, yet their wings are very strong. A recent study (2021) explains the wing shape and the flexibility of their wings.
Seize the moment
Let's take a moment to appreciate these small things and remember what matters most. To speak with J.J.R. Tolkien “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
Appreciate little things and seize the moment should be your daily mantra to take full advantage of the opportunities presented to you whenever and wherever they show up and enjoy.
You would be amazed at how little things in life ultimately make a large difference when it comes to your happiness. It means taking steps to live in the moment. The truth is that happiness often can be found when you seize the moment.
It was only a few days ago that the weather forecast predicted cloudy weather and when we woke up, to our surprise, the sun was already shining early in the morning. So, we decided to take advantage of the good weather and went for a walk with the dog. One should definitely enjoy every sunbeam this time of year because spring also has cold and gray days.
While Rob kept an eye on the dog, I had the camera ready to capture all the beauty that came our way. I love zooming in on objects with my camera and discovering details that are not at all or barely visible to the naked eye.
Zooming in on the common longwurt (longkruid in Dutch) I noticed it has a hairy stem and leaves which I didn’t know before.
We live in a beautiful valley surrounded by rolling hills in the countryside in Central France. Since we live here, my connection with nature has been deepend. Every time I take a walk in nature, I am touched by its beauty.
In our environment and also on our land there is a huge biodiversity, with a large number of insects and plants of which I do not know many. Inspired by their beauty I longed to learn more about them and I signed up for a herbal medicine course and from the first lesson it increased my respect for nature.
Of all pollinators, bumblebees are the first to look for pollen as early as chilly spring. In doing so, they not only help themselves, but also plants and people.
I love these hard working, buzzing and yet utterly relaxed creatures. It can’t be coincidence that a yoga stress reduction breath practise is called “buzzing bee” (Bhramari pranayama) - its vibration calms the mind and brings vitality.
The grape hyacinths (blauwe druifjes in Dutch) grow only two meters from some of our fruit trees - cherry, pear, apple, prune. Hopefully, the bumblebees will also pollinate these blossoms and we shall be able to harvest the fruit. Want to learn more about bumblebees?
The dandelion is a flower of hope and brightness
This dandelion (paardenbloem in Dutch) has finished blooming and is now waiting for a breeze to take its seeds.
The dandelion is one of the first to bloom in early spring, which is of great importance for the bumblebees, it provides them with pollen when not much is blooming yet.
Can you see the dewdrops? That drew my eye. By the way, I love the French word for dew "la rosée du matin”. How does that sound to you?
Buddha said “There is no way to happiness - Happiness is the way.” This quote suggests that happiness cannot be achieved through achieving certain goals or acquiring specific possessions such as if you achieve X or if you manage to get Y then you will be happy. That is not how it works in life.
In other words - it is important to realize that searching or chasing happiness should not be the ultimate goal, but rather a byproduct of living a fulfilling life.
Wishing you many little things and wonderful moments in nature - be amazed. Seize the moment!
Life is full of ups and downs. During an up period you can indeed enjoy all the beauty around you. And in a down period you should strive to reach the previous period again. In short, Sanja's story is completely correct.
“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” - Marcus Aurelius This is inspirational, simple and so true AND yet such a challenge for our busy human brains. This is the sort of essay/article to read again and again over a week and I think I will notice something different each time. Thank you for collating these words.