The Little Big Things in Life

All the things we miss in our frenzied course

Sunsets…

There’s something peculiar, nostalgic and serene about those late evening spectacles. A dimming light fading into the black, not to be seen until the coming dawn.

During a particular moment, the colors of the sunset are almost iridescent. An indescribable mix of blue, pink, orange, violet and gray takes over the sky. Your eyes move fast, trying to distinguish patterns, shapes and color gradients.

The grandiosity of the phenomenon is incomprehensible.

You may know the laws of physics causing those shades and formations to appear. But the beauty behind it invokes something in us that no existing book can explain.

If there’s magic in this world, it is beautiful sunshine.

I came across one of those rare occasions yesterday. And it caused an explosion within me.

Missing in action

I looked outside, and there it was. Something out of this world. Time and time again, painters have attempted to recreate this mystery, to no avail. Their final product, as impressive as it might be for a painting, pales in comparison to the real thing.

Who can blame the artists? They tried, at least.

I took a picture of it when I saw it. I wanted to save it to the cloud (the irony), in case my memory fails to recall it, for whatever reason. When I zoom in the digital photo, however, this representation of the actual sunshine is cheap, full of pixels that don’t do the colors any justice. Nothing can replace the original version.

Truth is, I almost missed that sunshine. I came across it by accident and would have looked the other way if not for a split second when my vision focused there. In those moments, I feel blessed and lucky beyond belief.

I am grateful for the moment of the fleeting glimpse.

But what does it take to notice such things? And why haven’t I done so earlier? What kept me away from this wonderful sight?

You were not paying attention, the voice whispered. You were not living in the moment. You were preoccupied with your work, your dinner, your unhealthy habits.

It’s one of those moments when the voice is actually right.

It hurts, but I know it’s the truth.

We forgot how to be

Do you ever feel like you are always chasing things? Aimlessly going after fame, money, or a fake sense of happiness?

I know I have.

Grandiosity attracts us like a powerful magnet. What is life without financial freedom, professional success, recognition by our peers and family, and admiration by our rivals? Our megalomania chips away our most genuine self, and replaces it with an agonizing need to succeed and become better, greater, something more.

And then we get too busy for sunsets. We have so much work that needs our immediate attention. So many tasks, so many chores, so many obligations. At the same time, we have to entertain ourselves, follow the news, plan our future.

Did we just miss our now?

As beautiful as that sunset was yesterday, its message was harshly cruel:

You’re not living in the now, my friend. You are so preoccupied with your big little things that you keep missing those little big things. And oftentimes, those are the ones that matter the most.

You are lucky if you get that message, sooner rather than later. You are even luckier if it manages to strike a cord within you.

In touch with ourselves

When that realization hits you, you know. You can feel you reached that tipping point, the point when you need to change your perspective. For real, this time.

It’s one of those moments where you know you need to shift your focus to the things you weren’t noticing before. The birds chirping outside your window. The smell of freshly-ground coffee in the morning. The everyday gestures of compassion by a loved one.

A magical sunshine.

If you care to really notice those seemingly small and insignificant things, you will see how they can transform your whole being into something higher, purer, and closer to the real you.

The truth about it all is that you only need to turn your focus, and modify your intention.

There really is no trick when it comes to appreciating the little moments. And if anyone tells you it’s complicated, or that it requires years of practice and meditation, don’t listen to them.

It literally takes a second.

It is that split second that makes all the difference.

What this experience taught me is that it’s about time we establish contact with our true selves.

“We’re so busy watching out for what’s just ahead of us that we don’t take time to enjoy where we are.” — Bill Watterson

So please. If you stumble upon the sight of a sunset, that generous creation of the cosmos, stop for a moment. Whatever you are doing, put it aside. Just take a few deep breaths, and watch…

Missing in action, we forgot how to be in touch with ourselves