Which it is your choice. Are you going to take the intiative and change the events in your day or change your attitude to make your day better, or, are you going to drag yourself and people around you down. 

I often talk about famous people but they cannot change your life. It takes you to change your own life. Help someone you don’t normally talk to. Pick up something someone dropped, thank a vet, appreciate everything your teachers have to offer. It’s the little things that add up. THe little things that people do not normally think about that can make someone else’s day and in turn making your day better. 

So remember are you gonna make your day better? Or are you gonna choose to do the opposite. 

The choice is yours!

I live everyday with the burden of empty cupboards, overdrawn bank balances, debt warning letters, unreplied job applications and an inability to spend my spare time exactly as I like but I still feel happy because true happiness doesn’t come from deluxe swimming pools, swiss cars or designer labels. Sure these things can cheer you up and make you feel good momentarily but true happiness comes from within. What we need in life is good friends,  a supportive family and humour. If we all stepped back from our busy, hectic lives and just took the time to enjoy ourselves then we would all be a lot happier.

For example, imagine a tired, middle aged janitor who works for endless hours a day just to keep a school clean and hygienic when the kids barely take notice of him, he has a wife who he’s having marital issues with and returns home everyday to a bitter environment which is worse than his job. Now imagine, if one day, one child saw him coming and instead of throwing their litter on the floor as per usual, they placed the item in his litter bag and smiled at him, which he then returned to the pupil. If this is the first time that it has ever happened to the janitor then imagine how he would feel. For once, some one has taken notice of him and saved him a little bit of work. This janitor could then go on to have a good day. On his walk through reception, one of the receptionists comments on his smile as they have never seen him smile before. The janitor would then feel even better. On his walk back from home, he could go on to notice how lovely the sunset looks or how beautiful his wife’s gardening looks. On returning home, he tells his wife how nice the garden looks. This could be the first compliment he has given her in months so instead of slopping his cottage pie on the plate like usual, she places it delicately and neatly arranges all the vegetables. They go on to have their meal together free of the usual awkward silences. The janitor, who I shall name James, then goes on to treat his wife to an expensive bottle of Pinot Grigio which is her favourite wine. The night goes well for both of them and nine months later, James is on paternity leave to raise his son, Gavin.

Okay, so the situation is entirely hypothetical and rather extreme but it goes to show that the little things in life are what counts. Surely, you can think of a time where one small act has acted as a pick-me-up and improved your mood, day or frame of mind. If we all come together as one then we really can face any of life’s struggles.

Now, I will return to my cup-a-soup with a massive grin across my face.

Peace out!

            We greet our mothers on the 2nd Sunday of every May, with flowers, a smile and Wishes for a Happy Mother’s Day; Why? Basically in addition to the fact that she deserves it, it took Hallmark to make this day a reality, just as they did with Father’s Day, Grandparent’s Day, Secretary Day, the list is endless. I am not saying this is a bad thing but sometimes I feel, why do we need to make day out of the year where we should appreciate our Mother, Father or Secretary; why not do it everyday.

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            Let us look at what Mom does on a daily basics, the laundry, the bills, then there are the diapers and the doctors, let us add the meals along with the shopping. When you look at these “little things” we sure have a lot to thank our mothers for. So let us thank our Mother’s for all she had done, Mothers are special in so many ways it would be very sad to let such an awesome day go by, without a little TLC.

You know what a big difference it makes to our spouses, parents, children or friends, when we do just one small special thing for them? Details can change moods and attitudes, put smiles on faces and lighten burdens. When we take time to add details in our own daily routines, we enhance the quality of our life and make each day at home and at work special.

But how often do we do the little things that count to our own benefit? When last did we add one thing extra to put a little sunshine in our day, make our jobs easier or lighten the burdens we bear? Little things count for us too. We should take the initiative and add some details to the simplest task or the normal everyday run of household chores or workplace duties. Even the unconscious natural human life habits such as sleeping, waking, dressing and eating for instance can be meaningful. We need only to give the process significance by infusing it with some carefully thought-out details. Here are some suggestions.

Details at Home

Housekeeping can be a thankless job. When you have children and must also juggle a fulltime job outside the home, well, you could be talking about overtime work with no overtime pay. It is an endless round of the same set of almost daily chores. And you can quickly find yourself moving through them like a robot.

Meal preparation is one area where you can add simple details to make it less of a chore and more of a pleasure. Clean the kitchen and assemble the ingredients and utensils. Half of the problem with cooking is our tendency to want to rush through it. Get a handle on that tendency by taking a shower first. Pour yourself a refreshing drink and keep a nutritious snack nearby to nibble on while you cook. Slip in your favorite CD, put on an apron for a change and start cooking.

I’ve found that when I approach cooking like they do on the Food Network, it is enjoyable and I can actually smile through the process. For instance, no more walking back and forth, I assemble everything I need before hand. Sometimes, I even talk my way through the preparation. And, if you hear, “Bam!” or “Oh yeah babe! ” that’s me imitating Emeril Lagasse.

Details at Work

Just thinking about having to get up long before the crack of dawn is enough to make you bury your head in the pillow and wish for the night to last a few days. But since it will never happen, you might as well get up and go. Just be sure to add some special personal details to your day to keep frustration and overwhelm at bay.

These details were some of my favorite and really helped to keep me focused on my dreams. Try to reach the office at least half an hour before opening hours to have some time alone for breakfast or to sit awhile, just you, God and a cup of coffee perhaps. Make sure there are clear reminders on your desk of the people you cherish and the goals you aspire to achieve some day. Such details help set you up right for the day ahead and to smoothen out the usual kinks that always crop up.

Details for Yourself

Adding and tending to details in our personal routines raises our awareness of how much little things matter in the midst of the big picture of life. It doesn’t take a lot of money or a great deal of time, so why not start today.

After a hectic day, you’re almost always wiped out by bedtime. Nevertheless, this part of your daily cycle can be more relaxing when filled with little details. Don’t settle for dropping into bed like a battered log when you just can’t do any more. Schedule a set time to sleep, give or take 30 minutes or so. Then, before you throw your tired bones on the bed, engage in a little personal night-time details. Even if you don’t wear makeup, treat your face to the recommended cleansing regime of cleaning, toning and moisturizing. It may seem like just another “to- do” you could do without, but it is in fact, a self-care detail that says that your face is as important as the dishes that must be washed everyday. Stop wearing baggy old clothes to bed. Put on something comfortable and pretty. Fluff the pillows, light a candle, read, write. These are just a few of the details you can incorporate to make bedtime just a little more special.

Have you been rushing in a busy daze of sameness from day to day with its attendant obligations? Consider what kinds of details you can infuse in the commonplace activities in your life. After all, the best quality of life, is all in the details.

Here is that something else

1. Take a power nap: This quick 20-30 minute nap will revitalize your bloodshot eyes relieve your computer induced headache and prepare you for the rest of this list. Remember to set an alarm!
2. Rediscover the wonder of detail: Go outside and look at something very closely, you can use a magnifying glass if you have one but even without one your eyes will do fine. Look at a bug or small plant.
3. Get into an intellectual argument: find a Friend or family member, take up opposing standpoints and argue. This is a great intellectual stimulant! Remember to keep cool and calm, stop the argument if it becomes too heated.
4. Create something: Grab a bit of glue and a box of matches and see what you can come up with
5. Observe the wonders of the sky: Go outside, lie on your back and look at the stars or clouds (depending on the time of course), if it is overcast or cloudless listen to the birds or sounds of the night
6. Use your imagination: Close your eyes and go on a flight of fantasy and fun. This may take a bit of practice if you’ve been made numb by worldly worries or if it’s been years since you’ve last done this. I love to skydive, snorkel or float around in zero gravity.
7. Get up and take a long stretch: Aaaah! Don’t you just love that?
8. Make a fire: Oh! How I love to sit by a fire, to peer deep into its amber core, into its dancing tongues
9. Shout as loud as you can: Find somewhere where no one will see you and shout with everything you’ve got. What a stress reliever! Its fun to yell “can anyone hear me?” or a similar question and sometimes get a reply. Have a long distance “yell-versation” with an anonymous person. Just be careful not to let people think you’re being murdered, you can try and find a deserted open place.
10. Make music: Use cans bottles with water pots and anything else you can find. If you experiment long enough and practice a bit you can really play something impressive. It’s not as hard as you might think nor as childish.

Now go along and have some fun before your eyes become square and your brain shrivels up like a raisin!

Feel like a kid again.