the little things in life

What is it that brings you joy? What lifts your spirit? What ignites your passion?

Here are just a few things that make me happy:

Waking up to sunshine in the morning. Walking along the ocean. Smelling the salty ocean breeze. Feeling the sand between my toes. Running in the woods. A smile from a stranger. A hug from a friend. Spending time with family and friends. Playing board games with friends. Laughing so hard my stomach hurts. Blasting my favorite songs while driving in my car. Finding an email message from a friend in my inbox. Curling up on the couch with my husband at night to watch our favorite TV shows. Making somebody smile. Making somebody laugh. Getting an acupuncture treatment and going into this deep, relaxed state, where I feel like my body is sinking into the table. That sublime state between wakefulness and dreaming. Doing Qi Gong on the beach. Doing Qi Gong anywhere. The smell of fresh-cut grass. The sun peeking through the clouds. Seeing a beautiful rainbow. Watching the sun set over the ocean. The list goes on...

I had the most heart-warming experience the other day. I started for a run from my house. I was still fiddling with my iPod when, a few houses down, a little girl stopped me in my tracks. She said, very non-chalantly: 'What's your name?' I replied: 'My name is Angie. What's your name?' Her name was Emi. She was on a little pink scooter with a wicker basket on the handle bar, which contained several bone-shaped dog treats. A few feet away was her dog, basking in the sun. She told me all about her dog. Her mom finally came out, wondering what she was up to. Emi exclaimed with enthusiasm in her voice: 'Mom, this is Angie!' I felt warm around my heart. I chatted with the mom for a few moments and told her my husband and I had just moved into the neighborhood. She welcomed me to the neighborhood and I proceeded to continue on my run. At this point, Emi walked up to me and wrapped her arms around my legs. My heart melted! This experience brought me so much joy. I walked away with a bounce in my step, a smile on my face, and a boost of energy that carried me through my run and made it feel effortless! There is something so refreshing about little kids who are still so uninhibited and wonderfully, authentically themselves!

It's the little things in life that matter, isn't it? I hope your day is filled with magical moments!

~Angie