One of my favorite things about weekend mornings is the extra time I have to slowly sip my coffee while taking little Maiya for a nice, long walk. My heart felt so full of joy this morning as I watched the every move of my furry friend, listened to a podcast and savored the balmy 25 degree weather (only the words of a true Minnesotan 😉 ). With every step her little paws went pitter pat and her fluffy, black body swayed side-to-side as her tail bounced up and down. I had one of those really cheesy, dog mom moments where I couldn’t stop thinking about how perfect she is, how grateful I am to share life with her and how much she means to me. It’s fine… you can call me a #crazydoglady. It’s true. I embrace it.

Dog mom moments aside, there is so much beauty in stepping back from the big picture sometimes and noticing how glorious the small things in life are. Many of us spend so much time in our heads, worrying about the relationship that is no longer, the job that we just want now or the mistake we made a year ago, that we lose sight of the little delights all around us. We forget about the beauty in the world by solely focusing on our challenges and never allowing ourselves a moment to breathe. We can open our eyes to the small joys when we slow down enough to actually notice them.

I encourage you to take a moment this weekend to allow space for appreciating beauty, happiness, joy. It doesn’t have to be three hours you block free on your calendar. It can be as simple as taking five minutes to appreciate how great your coffee tastes.

Notice the flavor notes.

Appreciate the aroma.

Feel the warm mug in your hand.

Breathe in the experience.

Allow your mind to clear from your worries and just focus on that single moment.

Embrace simply being rather than doing.

For some, these moments come naturally and for others, we have to coach ourselves through these meditative moments. We have to remind ourselves that it is ok to shut off the noise of our mind and focus on that little slice of time. After all, the clanging of our thoughts rarely leads to productivity or happiness, but rather anxiety that overshadows much of our existence.

Your grandma has probably encouraged you to “stop and smell the roses” before, so let’s take granny’s advice. Stop and smell your coffee. Stop and pet a dog. Stop and smile at a child on the sidewalk. Stop and just be. Stop and relish the joy in life, because it’s all around you.