As the saying goings, "It's the little things in life that matter." While you might know this on an intellectual level, how often do you actually live by that motto?
In my opinion, human beings take too much for granted. I teach college students, and I know that most of them feel like the typical "poor college student." But I always tell them that they are really not poor. About half the people in the world make less than $750 per year, which most Americans can't even imagine. They don't think it's possible to ever live on that small amount of money. But people do it all across the globe every day.
Many of these people don't even have clean water or a bed to sleep on. For the last 15 years, I have sponsored two children who live in the Philippines. Neither of them had a bed to sleep on - they sleep on a mat on the floor. Most of us can't even fathom that.
I say all of this to try to remind you that the little things do matter. In fact, that's all that matters. Fancy cars, big bank accounts, or traveling the world don't mean anything if you don't have your health and the ones you love.
Here are some important "little things" that I think everyone should seriously focus on a regular basis because many of us do place them at a high enough priority:
1.Eating healthy
We all know that we should eat healthy. And I'm not trying to persuade you to be a vegan or adopt a raw food diet. God knows I could never do that! But I think we should all become conscious eaters. Don't mindlessly shove food into your mouth without thinking about it. Try to make healthy choices - at least once in a while.
2.Getting enough sleep
My body won't let me NOT sleep. I literally cannot function the next day if I get less than 7 hours of sleep. But I know people who routinely survive on 3-4 hours of sleep a night. And that's not good! Lack of sleep can lead to some serious health problems. It's so important to get as much as possible if you want to stay healthy.
3.Talking to our loved ones
We mistakenly believe that our loved ones will always be there. Our lives are so busy that sometimes we forget to call our mom, our siblings, or our friends. But sometimes just a simple text or an email is enough to keep your bond strong. So don't neglect them.
4."Me-Time"
Even though we are all busy, it's important to remember to have some "me-time." Spending time by yourself will help you feel rejuvenated. Even extroverts and people who always like to be on the go should slow down once in a while and do something for themselves.
5.Feeding your soul - and growing your mind - to be a better person
Read a book. Take a class. Learn something - anything. Maybe you want to learn to invest your money. Or maybe a new language. Or how to meditate for inner peace. There is so much knowledge in the world that you can soak up to grow as a person. And if you're not growing, you're stagnating.
6.Creating better relationships
This is a biggie for me - mostly because I teach relationship skills. People think that relationships are difficult, but they don't have to be. Be kinder. Have more empathy. Try to understand people. Communicate better. Reach out and take the first step to building your relationships and making them stronger.
The little things really do matter. As you can see, neglecting them could result in disease or just simply at the expense of your happiness. So don't you think it's time that you that you re-focus your priorities?