It just takes one

       It's the little moments in life. I've become convinced that the only thing I need every day is just one thing to make me smile. I'm not talking about the little grin I give the barista at Starbucks as they make small talk over my extra shot of expresso, or the sluggish chuckle that falls out of my lips as a customer answers that they "didn't find that 100 dollar bill" when I ask if they found everything okay. I'm talking about a whole-hearted smile, one that starts on the inside and makes it's way out. It's slow and bright, like a sunrise peeking over some clouds on the beach. Sometimes we (and by "we" I mean "I") need to be reminded that overall happiness doesn't come from the big things in life. It comes from a compliment from a stranger, the way the sun reflects off the clouds on an early morning drive to work, or running in the cool of the rain; the smallest of successes.

     Oftentimes, we look to the objectives to determine how our lives are going at the moment. We set our goals, and set them high. We pay little attention to the subjective trail that leads up to achieving the said goal. I'm familiar with this conundrum, often looking to the numbers in order to gauge my abilities. But it's not about the numbers. The things that matter the most in life are those that can't be quantified. Sometimes they can't even be put into words, as I'm trying to do now. For example, I couldn't tell you every detail of how I felt when I jumped off the bar after completing my 10th pull-up, (I had been trying to do so all summer) or how great of a hug I received when I ran my  marathon PR. Emotions simply can't be described. I know that we've all felt something in which the words "sad" or "happy" fails to represent the emotion flowing through our bodies. Part of dealing with the ebb and flow of life is allowing emotions to have this mystique; this misunderstood understanding that we won't always know why we feel a certain way.

    We all are focused on "the next big thing". Whether it be graduation, a promotion, the birth of a child, marriage, a big race, taking a job, or retiring. What we should be doing, however, is reminding ourselves where we are in the present. This day, this hour, this moment. Without fail, looking too far into the future will cloud the present. Take each step in stride, and find joy even when it isn't apparent. Find those little moments that make your heart smile, because that is the only true smile to be smiled.