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The Principles of Spiritual Living

The Small Stuff

Last updated on: August 17, 2016 at 6:00 am   by Terry Drew Karanen

The Small Stuff 2016-08-14T20:39:20-06:00 Terry Drew Karanen

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

It’s the little things that make a difference in our lives. We have the choice whether seemingly insignificant events are going to produce happiness, sorrow, regret or gratitude, among many other emotions. In fact, it’s the small stuff that can actually be a life saver for us.

In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s, A Study in Scarlet, Sherlock Holmes’ sidekick, Dr. Watson is credited with writing this small piece of wisdom:

No man burdens his mind with small matters unless he has some very good reason for doing so.

If you are willing to get by the masculine noun writing style of the day this quote bears a tremendous message. Throughout the day we are bombarded with information. It’s not just what we read on social media or hear on the news. It’s far more subtle, yet infinitely more important.

The small stuff about which the good doctor speaks is our power of observation. It’s being open to noticing the energy of a person we meet; a split second before she stood tall and smiled she was slightly slumped, her eyes gray with disappointment, or perhaps despondency. Might we be a tad more loving and considerate if we had taken the time to be more observant?Blog

We may be lamenting the problems in the world, of which we are many, yet if we open to being more aware of our surroundings we notice one driver signally for another to go ahead in an act of courtesy; an elderly woman holding the door for a young father with three young children in tow, giving the guy just what he needs not to feel so alone; or, the cat who insists on us taking the time to pet her, just when we need to stop the craziness of the day.

It can also be hearing something intriguing or helpful and saying, “That’s really interesting! I’m going to remember that when I need it,” instead of, “I wish I could remember stuff like this, but I’m so forgetful.”

Are we are willing to believe there is only One Divine Consciousness with which we are all connected? If so, we understand that by training ourselves to believe in Divine Timing we’ll know that all knowledge is ours to have when it’s needed.

What will you observe today that you’ll recall in the future? Are you willing to enjoy the day, enjoying all you observe, and without rushing through it just to get to the end? I’d love to know what you experience today!

In Spirit, Truth and Playfulness,
Terry

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@TerryDKaranen
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Terry Drew Karanen © 2016

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