Little Things Matter

Some things matter too much to the ego, and this is a source of unhappiness, things like performing perfectly, looking a certain way, having certain things, and so on. The flip side of this is that many of the little things that actually turn out to matter, especially to true happiness, are overlooked and underrated by the ego. Most of the turning points in our life came about as a result of something that didn't seem to matter at the time: a phone call from a friend who happened to tell us about a spiritual teacher coming to town; an invitation to a party, where we met our true love; a summer job that got us started in our career direction; a friend inviting us on a trip, which changed us in some way; reading a book that put us on a particular path. Life-changing experiences come out of what seem to be small and insignificant occurrences.
Most of the things that bring us the greatest satisfaction happen as a result of something small: a phone call, a meeting, finding out about something, seeing something. Life happens—it comes out of the flow—and the seemingly insignificant and ordinary moments are part of that. If we aren't paying attention to these small things and following our intuition about them—going to that party, pursuing that interest that was sparked, finding out more about something—we might miss out on experiences that we would consider important and meaningful.
Small things matter for another reason. Often the only thing that is going on is something "small," and if we take our mind's word for it and see the ordinary moments of life as unimportant, extraneous, boring, or even wrong, we'll miss out on the opportunity for joy that they offer. When we give our attention fully to the ordinary things in life—drying our hair, walking the dog, going to the store, driving somewhere—we discover the extraordinary in them. We discover that ordinary moments have the same potential for happiness as extraordinary moments.
The extraordinary moments—when our child is born, when we land our dream job, when we fall in love, our wedding day—are rare and quickly fade. The elation of those moments can't be sustained. If we are waiting for life to feel like that all the time, we'll be waiting a very long time. But right here and now in this moment, it's possible to be content with whatever is happening simply by giving it your full attention. When you become lost in whatever you are doing, you feel content, at peace, and whatever you are doing becomes a source of beauty and gratitude.
The real miracle of life is that every moment is just as precious and has just as much potential for happiness as every other moment. Experiencing this happiness is largely a matter of recognizing this great truth. The mind discounts most moments, and that discounting prevents us from discovering the potential happiness in some small act or experience. The belief that something doesn't matter and can't make us happy is a self-fulfilling prophecy: when we believe that only some moments are good and valuable, then that becomes our experience. If we know the truth, however, that ordinary moments are equally valuable, then the preciousness of life and gratitude become our experience.
The truth is that life—every moment—is precious, sacred, and when we are aligned with that truth, we are happy and at peace with life. When we are not, we are at war with life, which is the state of ego-identification, identification with voice in our head. The difference between being happy and at peace with life and not being happy and not at peace is often just a matter of how we view this moment. Does this moment seem unimportant and like something you're just getting through to get to some other moment? Or is this moment something to savor, like the most wonderful chocolate, like a sunny Sunday morning, like sitting by a sparkling seaside? What if you brought that same attention to the more ordinary moments of life and were willing to experience those moments as you do the more extraordinary ones?
The difference between being happy and not being happy is not in what you are experiencing, but in the amount of attention and the attitude of preciousness you bring to any moment. It only seems like what you are experiencing is the cause of happiness. But happiness is our natural state and not caused by anything; it is only obscured by the belief that something isn't worthy of our attention or gratitude. When we give anything our attention and gratitude, we experience happiness in that moment.
Try this out yourself: The next time you are feeding your dog, watering your plants, putting the clothes in the washing machine, going to the mailbox, or doing any of the many things we do regularly, get really involved in it, consider it a sacred act, notice anything of beauty about it, recognize the miracle of life that is capable of doing these things, and acknowledge your gratitude for being able to have the experience you are having.