All the good right here, rigth now

I love noticing and appreciating the little things in life. No matter how rushed I am, I marvel at the perfection of an egg as I hold it before making it into my breakfast, and savor the warmth of my tea cup before the first sip. These small moments pay huge dividents in the quality of my daily life.

As I write this, it is drab, gray, and cloudy outside, but the contrast makes the grass seem more vibrant and the warmth of my home more cozy. Life isn’t always perfect. At times, it can be unthinkably hard. Still, simple pleasures abound, and the focus on them continues to draw miracles into our lives.

When I was so sick years ago that I couldn’t eat, sleep, or even sit for nine days straight, I walked and breathed slowly and tried to be intensely present to the texture of the blanket I wrapped around myself, the birdsong outside, and anything that helped me feel better. As a result, I healed naturally. When I was tired beyond words due to an emotional drama in the past, a single rose in the yard beckoned me back into the land of love and living with its vibrant red, soft petals, and exquisite perfume. Earlier this year, when I had one big home expense after another, I counted my blessings and was so positive the plumber gave me a huge discount, and today, the heater repair man left after fixing my unit with no charge. He said I had been patient, kind, and helpful while their entire team was sick and it just felt right. I offered to pay twice, but he’d have none of it.

These little “miracles” keep happening in my life, not because I’m begging God for help or get any special favor, but because I live deliberately, constantly trying to attune myself to the good in life. I had a huge to do list and a bottomless inbox a few days ago, so I grabbed a hot cocoa, gave thanks for al the good in my life and was interrupted by the seemingly random thought that I should take care of some things in the yard and run a few errands. I did the yardwork, picked fresh lavender flowers to press for my homemade lavender oil, and ran the errands. Good thing because when the rains came, my yard did not flood badly and the lavender took a pounding. My errands were done, and I was cozy at home.

When you take time to feel good about anything, everything—great and small—starts to work better. I have talked to many clients and many of you who are starting to notice increased flow, and little miracles that result from with even a slightly-improved vibe. I’ve talked to some of you who are seeing the bigger things—vacations, uexpected opoprtunities, etc. result from a dedication to your tuning.

It is, of course, more difficult to remember to focus on the good when tough things are going on. It is possible, however. It does help. I have talked to people who were caught in the middle of a city being bombed, and miraculously they focused on the good people helping one another enough to be guided to safety. I’ve talked to those who have been too close to natural disasters and shared stories of miraculous rescues by those who didn’t give up hope. I know people who have lost their homes to wildfires only to find new life and new love along the path. No one would judge any of these individuals for feeling bad about their situation, but their choice to focus on the good is an inspiration and a testament to the vibrational nature of reality. They looked for beauty and received “beauty for ashes,” as the saying goes.

None of us are perfect at this, me included. I seem to handle large things well, but lost my patience the other day with an automated phone system! The robot kept repeating choices that had nothing to do with the problem until, at long last, after navigating so many menus I couldn’t count, it hung up on me. At that point, I realized I needed to change my vibe, or I’d never find a solution. I looked around, returned to a vibration of appreciation, and immediately got an answer that led me to the help I needed.

This practice isn’t about making bad things feel good. It is about focusing away from the bad things towards the things that feel naturally good. That is a subtle yet powerful distinction.

Too often, we focus on something bad while trying to make it feel better. It is far more effective to say, “I don’t like it,” and look to something else for a while. That way, you’ll return to the original topic (or automated system!) with fresh ideas on how to handle it.

Many things in life will never feel good, but fortunately, there are so many things that do. Wars will never feel peaceful, yet there are kind people, the sun overhead, and the plants always reaching for life. Illness will never feel good, but there are cozy blankets, sunny patches, and those who will pray. Debt doesn’t thrill anyone, but there is food on the table, a roof overhead in most cases, positive programs, and help if you open to grace.

It feels unthinkably hard and almost irresponsible to our 3D way of thinking to shift our focus to the good when something really tough is going on. If you can, however, even for little bits at a time, you will open up to the guidance that helps steer you to safety, health, or abundance.

No matter where we are in life or what is going on, it serves us all to dive into the richness of a moment. The love is always there, waiting to ignite better feelings, higher vibrations, and a better flow in our lives.

Here are a few tips to help you practice experiencing the best a moment has to offer:

1.  Eat a single piece of chocolate (or your favorite treat) with awareness

This might be one of the most fun spiritual exercises you will ever do 🙂 Get yourself your favorite treat, but this time, eat it as slowly as you can. Before eating it, look at it and appreciate its form—perhaps the little swirl where the chocolate maker lifted it from the dipping pot, or if you’re eating a carrot, notice its vibrant orange color. Smell it and appreciate the nuances of fragrance. Notice the texture. Now, take a tiny taste, and as you chew, let the flavors roll around on your tongue, truly tasting and savoring them. Do this, bite after tiny bite, luxuriating in the sensory experience of each tiny moment.

A seemingly simple act is elevated into an experience of Divine grace as you notice the simple pleasures in each moment! You may taste your treat as you never have before. Try a similar exercise of presence next time you wash a dish or fold a towel. The more we dive into the sensory experience of simple acts, the more life reveals its riches.

2. Truly look at the people you’re talking with

This sounds like a no-brainer, but often, when we’re talking to someone, we’re lost in our thoughts, not truly connected. Next time you talk to someone, be it your lover or the checkout clerk at the store, really look at them. Look into their eyes. Be present. Miraculously deep connections can be made in an instant, leaving you both feeling safer, better, and more blessed.

3. Do mini moments of appreciation

Set a timer for one minute. Pick something to appreciate in the area around you. Spend one minute appreciating it and thinking about why you love or appreciate it. See how you feel when you finish.

Life offers so much grace in small spaces and stolen moments. I can sit on my lawn and marvel at the grass, the clover, and the tiny little bugs having their entire lives, relationships, and colonies under our feet. Here at my desk, I notice a rock I picked up while hiking in a dry creekbed, and I feel the forces and flow of Mother Nature etched on its surface. Today, the weather is cool outside, but my tea is tasty and warm.

These things don’t heal my body or pay my bills directly, but they do affect my energy, which does affect my body’s chemistry and circulation. They affect my mood, which has attracted incredible discounts and the kindness of strangers. More importantly, they affect my spiritual vibration so I can attract goodness, grace, and guidance, as the angels like to say.

We often think it is hard to change, but it becomes very doable if you break change down into simply noticing the good in little moments. This way, we can easily, step by step, return to our natural state of joy, appreciation, and innocence, looking for good, finding good, feeling good, and attracting more good.