Notice the Little Things

The story is told about the world's smartest man coming home to visit his father. The two decided to go camping. They set up the campsite, talked around the fire, and then climbed into the tent to sleep. In the middle of the night, the father woke his son, pointed to the stars above, and said, "What does that tell you?"

Staring at the beautiful twinkling stars overhead, the genius said, "Astronomically, it tells me we are surrounded by billions of galaxies. Scientifically, it tells me we are looking at the past, because the light of those stars took millions of years to reach us, and some are even gone by now. Philosophically, it tells me I am a speck among the heavenly jewels. What does it tell you, Dad?"

The father said, "It tells me someone stole our tent."

Have you ever been so focused on one task or idea that you missed an important part of the overall picture? Sometimes we get so caught up in one big goal that we miss the little things that are so vital to success.

For instance, time. It is the one commodity we all have the same amount of, regardless of our wealth or social status. Don't get so caught up in the whirlwind of day-to-day life that you end up letting life pass you by.

Here are three ways to make tomorrow a successful day:

1) Focus on your health. Get to bed early tonight and give your body the sleep and rest it so desperately needs. Watch what you're eating and try to get some exercise during the day if you have a job that keeps you at your desk for most of the day. Take care of yourself today, and you'll be thankful for it tomorrow.

2) Focus on the tasks ahead of you. As soon as you get out of bed, complete some small task. Something as simple as making the bed can actually give you a sense of accomplishment that pushes you forward to the next one. Carefully plan your day just before you go to bed the night before, so you get up with a purpose and vision rather than being swept along by chaos. Have a clear plan for what you need to accomplish today and a good idea of how you'll do it.

3) Focus on your mental well-being. Spend a few minutes every day on purposeful peace. Have a cup of tea and read a book for ten minutes. Journal, listen to a favorite song, or even play a musical instrument for a while. Meditate, talk to someone close to you, plan your day, read a magazine you like, or pray (just don't spend the time scrolling through feeds online, or you'll start stressing out again). Do something that resets your mental health for the day. Even if you have a hectic day at work, fourteen different ball games for the kids to get to, and a million things to do before bedtime, try to take ten minutes to catch your breath and unwind before bed.

These are all "little things" that we often ignore as we focus on the bigger picture. We try so hard to do so much, and if we aren't careful, we will end up figuratively racing on life's hamster wheel, going nowhere but feeling like we're making good time getting there.

Take a few moments today to look beyond the big picture and focus on the little things in your life. Is there anything vital you're ignoring that desperately needs your attention?

Enjoy the stars, but at least notice when the tent goes missing!