I’m sitting on my porch in the late afternoon sun. My chair rocks back and forth as Bertie tickles my toes with his whiskers and soft fur. The colours around me have been unveiled from days of misty rain; vibrant pinks, firey oranges, soft purples. Bees are hard at work, buzzing industriously from flower to flower. Swifts are soaring in amongst puffs of clouds, shrieking as if letting out a cry of exhilaration. Sounds of laughter and play reach me from the nearby park.

It’s a stark contrast to sitting out here this morning, but that time was no less full of tiny treasures to cherish. The air was fresh and cool. A soft scarf was wrapped around me. There was a comforting smell of damp summer earth. Raindrops were lined up perfectly on tall, willowy stems of verbena. A cup of tea warmed my hands.

It’s the little moments like these that make up the minutes, hours, days, years of our lives. They can be so easy to miss, but being present and awake to them can add so much richness to life. I often think I am at my happiest and most content when I’m awake to these moments. It’s interesting how these things cost little to nothing. They are obtainable to us all; wherever we are and whatever we may be experiencing, they are there to enjoy.

I’d like to invite you to join me in noticing, absorbing and enjoying the little things in life this summer. There are so many ways we can help ourselves do this. For me, it tends to be my journal where I write lists and capture moments in words, sketches and sometimes little photos. Some people do photo challenges or share their little moments on social media. Lucy over at Attic24 does this beautifully, using her camera and blog to record ‘the little things [that] really are the big things.’ In Breathworks we practise a mindfulness meditation called the Treasure of Pleasure. Simply take a moment, drop in and notice.

Not only is life created of these moments, but fully living them has a notable effect on our well-being. Neuropsychologist, Dr Rick Hanson, describes this in his fascinating Ted Talk, ‘Hardwiring Happiness’. He explains how we can overcome our evolved negativity bias by staying with good experiences long enough for the positive effect to sink in. By doing this, structural changes occur in the brain that make us more able to take in the good and more skilful at managing the bad.

Enjoy those little moments. I’ll leave you with a final reminder from ‘The Sound of Music’ that has been floating around my head as I’ve mulled over and written this post –

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with string
These are a few of my favourite things

Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favourite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver-white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favourite things

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember my favourite things
And then I don’t feel so bad