I am grateful for: connecting the "dots" in the present moment

It is usually in retrospect that we realize the smallest, simplest, and seemingly most insignificant moments in our lives end up bringing the greatest amount of change and make the biggest impact. So many of us wait for that one big moment, that one transformative experience, that one life-changing event to happen to make us the person we want to become. But, I’ve realized it doesn’t usually work like this. It is usually the little moments that build on each other to create a gradual shift inside of ourselves. Of course we have to do the work, but it shouldn’t come from a place of force or expectations. If we are able to work on ourselves little by little by committing to be the best version of ourselves in each moment, the results will be greater, more sustainable, and more authentic. If in the seemingly mundane and insignificant moments we can become aware of the deeper meaning, we won’t have to learn all of our lessons in retrospect. We will be able to learn them right in the present which gives us a much greater appreciation for life in the here and now. Of course, we need to look back on past experiences to be able to connect the dots, but what if we truly knew that which ever “dot” we are living in right now has meaning that will only lead to the next “dot” in our growth. Yes, time must go by for us to understand how these dots connect, but we also have the choice to understand in the present that every small, seemingly insignificant “dot” is actually part of a much bigger picture.

So I ask, where can I adopt this mindset of finding meaning in little moments, instead of waiting 5, 10, 20 years to understand the beauty of that moment in retrospect? Where can I take a step back to look at the bigger picture of life and understand that all these little moments eventually connect to bring us to where we are meant to be and who we are meant to become? I encourage you to start taking small steps instead of waiting for that one big experience to change you because if not now, then when?