It’s easy to assume that few days of our lives are noteworthy. Many days simply meld together in our minds without hesitation, and rarely do we regret when they’re over. Yet, I’ve learned that it’s helpful to give special attention to every day and find something in it, no matter how small, to find noteworthy.
Whenever I have an open square on my calendar, I make sure to write something. Even if all I get to write down is some random piece of conscious debris floating through my head, I still take note of it. Sometimes these little notes grow into entire essays.
Our everyday lives are inundated with fleeting thoughts and ideas that often go unacknowledged. So, I’ve made a conscious effort to to write down as many as I can, hoping to preserve and later reflect on the unique insights they may offer. Indeed, the simple act of writing down our thoughts can provide clarity and meaning to seemingly ordinary days, making them indeed noteworthy.
If I don’t feel like writing, I find something that I enjoy to pass the time, but be sure that it’s something I can learn from in doing. While a little bit of fictional escapism is fine, it’s important to balance it with something educational. If I can read something insightful or watch a thought-provoking documentary, I consider that worth noting for an otherwise uneventful day.
In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to lose sight of the beauty and significance of ordinary days. We get so hyper-focused on the milestones and achievements that we’re taught define our lives, that countless other days simply meld together in the haze of our memories. But, you can’t underestimate the value of each day, because after all, we only get so many of them.
I’ve found that it’s on the most unremarkable days that I realize the most potential for practicing my skills, uncovering new knowledge and wisdom, and appreciating life’s subtleties. Of course, it’s taken me many years to appreciate the value of recognizing and embracing the mundane. Now, I base my writing in capturing the fleeting thoughts which can illuminate the ordinary. I seek to reveal the hidden beauty both within our being and without in this wondrous universe we inhabit.
Still, not every day needs to be extraordinary. We should appreciate the beauty of life’s simple pleasures. This could be simple as the taste of our morning tea or the feeling of warm sunlight on our faces. While seemingly trivial, these moments ground us in the present and remind us of the interconnectedness of everything.
Why should you do or work on something different each day? Keeping your mind and body active helps break the monotony of routine and create opportunities for growth and learning. You could try a new hobby, explore a different part of your community, or initiate a conversation with a total stranger. Any of these proactive tasks can inject novelty and excitement into an otherwise unremarkable day. Also, these experiences can broaden our horizons.
Also, it’s important to appreciate the ripple effect of small actions. Intuitively, we understand how every action must always be followed by a reaction. But, the ripple effects of small actions are often invisible to us, even if they are most certainly there. Only when we slow down and live our day with calmer and deliberate intentions can we learn to appreciate the small steps we each can take to move forward.
So, rather than try and live big and loud, it’s much more productive to take small, deliberate steps to create noteworthy moments. By taking our time, we ultimately change our perception of both ourselves and our surroundings. What may still appear to others to be insignificant actions can have an obvious invisible, but real ripple effect we can then appreciate.
Living deliberately and intentionally allows us to find joy in the everyday and transform their own lives. By setting an example for this lifestyle, we can contribute to a collective shift in consciousness that values the beauty and importance of the ordinary. Appreciating life’s subtleties turns unremarkable days into fertile ground for self-improvement and discovery.
If you take some time right now, you may find that your own fleeting thoughts contain many of the answers for how to make the most of the moments many others don’t value. Start today with the intention of living each day to cherishing ordinary moments. By tomorrow or the day after, you’ll uncover the true essence of life, realizing every ordinary day can be indeed noteworthy.
~ Amelia Desertsong
