Finding joy in the little things

Photo: Apple

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

The expression suggests that if you pile enough small stresses or problems onto someone, something as light as a feather can be the thing that causes them all to collapse under the strain.

I have to remind myself of this wisdom from time to time. It’s easy to take on tasks that seem small, but when you put enough of them together, they become unmanageable or overwhelming.

I wonder if there’s a similar saying about the effect of piling small positive things on top of each other. If so, I’ve never encountered it. I tried to create one but so far haven’t landed on something that has the same impact as the camel and the straw.

At its core would be the idea that if you want to have more positivity in your world, you don’t have to find the one magic bean that will do that. Instead, gather mini beans. By themselves they may not have a lasting effect, but together they have the ability to impact your life in a major way.

Recently I was reminded that mini zaps of positivity are a powerful part of practicing happiness. When I was updating the software on my smart watch, I noticed there was a new watch face that featured the cartoon characters Snoopy and Woodstock.

These are two of my favourite animated characters. I’ve been part of the Snoopy fan club since I was a child. To make it better, I had the option of changing the background colour. Anyone who knows me can probably guess what colour I chose. Of course, it was purple.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I looked at my watch, but the result was better than I could possibly have hoped for. A tiny, animated clip sprang into action. I laughed with delight.

Not thinking much more about it, I was surprised when I checked the time later and noticed the clip had changed. I’m not sure how many different scenarios Snoopy and Woodstock are involved in, but I’m still finding ones I haven’t seen before. Each and every time I look at my watch, I find myself smiling.

Viewing the antics of these two might not give you the same warm, fuzzy, reaction as it gives me, and that’s OK. The trick is to find things that give you pleasure and a little jolt of joy.

By adding enough of these tiny positivity boosters, you can fill your happiness chest to overflowing and take your enjoyment of life to a whole new level.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.