True confessions.
I am serious book nerd. To the point where not only do I love reading, but I love just going to book stores, looking around at everything (and everyone), sitting, and enjoying myself, and sometimes grabbing a book I can't afford and spending several hours in the store, curled up, so I can read AND finish the book.
Yup.
Plus, Barnes and Noble is located about five minutes from where I go to school. There is also a Starbucks located inside this Barnes and Noble. It's safe to say I spend a lot of time there!!!
So, one day, I'm searching through these beautiful books, notebooks, cards and so on, and I come across this journal called The Happiness Project. It's a small blue and yellow thing. I didn't look too closely at but it basically was like, "Hey, write down happy things about each day!" and so it was one of those year long journals.
*Side note: My sister bought me this year long Q & A book for Christmas which I LOVE - it asks you a question a day for five years and you see how your answer changes! Seriously, THE BEST!!!
This happiness journal caught my attention though. I realized how a lot of times in conversations with other people, it becomes a "my life is hard" conversation and we begin to talk about all these negative things (which, I am totally guilty of as well) even though we really do have good lives. This little thought played into a lot of the idea of my one-year bucket list in which I am choosing to celebrate life!
Something I am doing this year is writing down a moment that brings me joy EVERY SINGLE DAY! I have created a journal where no negative thoughts are allowed and it is honestly, a freeing thing. I am so excited to, on my 21st birthday, look back on this last year at many of the joys in my life.
It reminds me of one of my all time favorite quotes:
"Enjoy the little things, for one day you will look back and realize these were the big things."
Little moments that often seem insignificant will almost always lead to the big and epic moments in life. I like to use a penny as an analogy. Allow me to explain.
A penny is only one cent. Practically worthless. Ignored to the point where if someone sees it on the ground, often times, they won't pick it up. But imagine if someone were to collect every penny - if every time they received one or saw a penny on the ground, they would pick it up and save it. Eventually, that worthless, copper faced, one cent would add up.
Not convinced? Well, here's another example.
Many have heard the Bible story of David and Goliath (read 1 Samuel 17 if you haven't!!!). Being a shepherd boy is an extremely ordinary job - all he does is protect these dang sheep (which, lets be honest, sheep are incredibly stupid animals!!!). Every day, he watches over them and does these "little things" such as kill lions and bears (1 Samuel 17:33 - 37). These are David's every day moments. Next thing you know, though, David is thrown into a war that determines if another nation will begin to rule over the nation in which he lives! David has already fought the little wars in life, so Goliath is no match for him and God.
*SPOILER ALERT: Goliath dies. David wins. God wins.
This is why:
1) I pick up every penny I find. It serves as a reminder to me that little moments can be the most beautiful and joyful moments.
2) One of my one year bucket list items is quite simple - collect a penny from each year that I have been born.
-Courage, dear heart. C.S. Lewis
Lexi
