How Appreciating the Small Things Can Have Big Rewards   

Marlo Thomas wrote a book, The Right Words at the Right Time, a few years ago about regular people who found profound moments of inspiration just by living and observing their own lives. One story stayed with me even after the book had collected dust on my bookshelf. It was a tale of an underprivileged woman and her son, both of whom lived in a very undesirable urban area. The son was depressed by his situation and confided in his mother about his distress. Rather than embrace his feelings of despair about his circumstances, she told him he was looking at his life the wrong way. She said that regardless of where you live or what you have, there is beauty all around you. He immediately challenged her and scanned the block that they were on—the broken buildings, the trash, and the evidence of poverty all over. He said: “Oh, yeah, look around here, what could you possibly find that is positive or beautiful?” The mother glanced down upon the sidewalk and saw, in the crack within the pavement, a dandelion sprung out of nowhere. She pointed it out to her son. “There—do you see it?” The boy responded, “See what? It’s just a weed.” The mother disagreed, saying, “But it has a flower on it and the flower is yellow…and isn’t that the most beautiful shade of yellow you have ever seen?”

She was right, of course. Amongst the rubble was a striking golden plant seemingly sprung from nowhere and poised for admiration by the beholder who could see its beauty. This story has haunted me ever since, and I have never looked at a dandelion the same way again. After all, how many weeds do people pluck or step on or simply ignore altogether?  Why don’t people choose to see the good over the bad, the love over the hate, and the kindness over the meanness?

Finding Inspiration in Every Day Moments

This all leads us to the bigger lesson: What is inspiration and where can you find it? Is it in a motivational book? An audio tape? A lecture? A breathtaking scene? Or is it in the everyday moments of your life? If inspiration is everywhere, why do so many of us have a hard time seeing it? Why does it take the Special Olympics or a story of triumph over tragedy to keep us in focus and for us to appreciate the little things in life? Because many of us take the little things for granted, going through our days numb to the simplest of beauties. Once our basic needs are met, it is human nature for us to seek out pleasures. As we accumulate those pleasures, we look for greater and greater satisfaction.

Buddhists believe that pain is a good thing; that one must experience pain in order to experience pleasure, and that learning how to embrace pain is all part of the journey of life. A life without pain is, indeed, a life not lived. The Catholics, in contrast to the Buddhists, believe that with greatness comes great responsibility; that the more you have, the more that is expected of you. They believe that it is in giving and selflessness, not in acquiring and self-absorption, that one is actualized.

People often look to celebrities for inspiration. The Kardashians, for example, are a privileged family of fame and wealth, known for their beauty, fashion and overall fabulous lives. But strip away the lip gloss and high heels, and you will find that the Kardashians cannot offer the inspiration of the golden dandelion. While we may all envy fame and wealth, we aspire for contentment and enrichment. We enjoy superficial society, but we long for inspiration.

In several episodes of “Mad Men,” you will find Don Draper and Peggy Olsen at a movie theater during the  middle of the workday. Don proclaimed that the interruption helped to stimulate his creativity and unblocked his mind whenever he was stuck. Peggy, forever the prodigy, followed in Don’s wing-tipped footsteps and sought her inspiration in the same way. They would both return to the office with a refreshed outlook and energy that resulted in the design of award-winning advertisements. Sure, some movies can provide that type of motivation, transcending our thoughts or disrupting our lives just enough to help us momentarily forget what we were unsatisfied with. But can they truly inspire us? Can they help us to see our lives through a new lens? Can they shift our paradigm just enough to help us see the flowers among the weeds?

The truth to finding inspiration is to look for it. It’s really that simple. There doesn’t need to be a breathtaking rainbow after every rainfall if you realize that there is magic in the raindrops themselves. As I write this on my deck, I feel a gentle breeze, and hear the sound of a woodpecker and the ripple of the final waves of the season in my pool. Not exactly sunset in Hawaii, but inspiring nonetheless. Why? Because instead of complaining that the breeze is upsetting my papers, that the woodpecker is distracting from my writing, or that the pool is too cold now to go in, I chose to see the positive in my situation– that I am working outside while enjoying nature and my own backyard.

A Final Thought

There is a homeless man in my hometown. He travels by bike, and although he is often seen at the local stores, he keeps to himself. He does not beg, he does not moan for attention, he just lives his life. He inspires me. Why? Because he accepts the life he was granted and makes the most of it. He does not appear to be jealous. He does not act out in rage. He does not want what others have enough to take it from them. I like to think that if you asked him, he would point out the beauty in his world, just like the woman did for her son. And I would not be surprised if he had a small jar of dandelions tucked away among his possessions, or if his favorite color was yellow.