By Linda Dulicai
Have you ever noticed that it is the small things in life that bring the most joy?
I have spent some time contemplating this new year we are in and the changes that it will bring. Think of the child who receives a very expensive gift but is happiest with the box it came in. The child looks at the present (the big deal) but is enchanted with the small (the box). It reminds me that when we make change, we look at the big things first, but that is not how change happens. It happens in the little actions, the small changes in viewpoint, like looking at a box.
So, as I sit here writing this, I have moved from one side of the counter to the other. Instead of viewing the inside of my house, I view the outside. It’s a small change, perhaps one that will change my perspective from introspection to extrospection, perhaps from “What will I be like?” to “What will the world be like?” Both are good question having entirely different answers.
A while back we heard about what David Bach calls “The Latte Factor ” and how it could change our financial life. Bach says, “The Latte Factor® is based on the simple idea that all you need to do to finish rich is to look at the small things you spend your money on every day and see whether you could redirect that spending to yourself.” This is a great example of a small change. Another would be choosing to take the stairs instead of the elevator. How much better shape would we be in if we did a little cardiovascular exercise every day, as opposed to staying sedentary? While we are talking about small health changes, don’t park in the closest spot in the parking lot. Give yourself a little walk.
It is the little things that affect our mood as well. If we are exposed to a negative person who only grumbles over what’s wrong with the world, we can always think of a song, or a joke or something a loved one did that will make us smile. Or we can accept the negativity. It’s our choice. It’s all point of view. Shift two degrees left to happiness, shift two degrees right for neutrality, stay where we are to have what we have.
So my challenge to you as you may already be sliding down the slope off of those new year’s resolutions is to look at one thing today and ask yourself a couple of questions. Does that thing serve me? If it does not, how can I change it so that it does? How will doing that make me feel?
These are the kinds of questions I ask my clients all the time as we explore ways attitudes affect health and happiness. Then we come up with a plan of action, a plan comprised of small things that make big differences. If you would like more information on my process, contact me. And here’s to your happiness!
A practitioner for more than 38 years, Linda Dulicai is a Certified Natural Health Professional and an Advanced Loomis Digestive Health Specialist educated in more than 25 modalities of wellness. She is CEO of The Healthy Zone.
