Learn to Celebrate the Small Stuff

Fine tune your attitude of gratitude

Today was a good day.

I exercised today for the third day in a row. I finished the kids’ homework and signed behavior charts as soon as I got home. I read books with Mya and Jimmie. I picked up donuts on my way to school for my class. I did not have to rush to get in the building on time to sign in for work.

Today was a good day.

I did not scream at the kids. My head was not pounding. I did not obsess over all the things I left undone. I was not sick and tired of being sick and tired. The dogs were fed and walked. I took my vitamins. My students learned. I turned in paperwork to all the right people and followed up on emails.

Today was a good day…and so was yesterday.

Yesterday, I rejoiced with a co-worker as she decided she was going to love her hair. Yesterday we stopped for frosties because all the kids stayed on green. Yesterday, my sister reveled in the success of her latest business endeavors on her birthday. We marveled together at the goodness of God. Yesterday I practiced an attitude of gratitude. Yesterday, I looked back and took time to absorb how far I’ve come.

Yesterday was a good day.

Yesterday I decided that it was time for me to begin to celebrate the good days. Yesterday I made a decision that I would document the days that life made me smile…that God took the time out to shoot me a smile. Because I realized yesterday as I searched through my photos to pick out the perfect one for my sister’s perfect birthday post that some of the most beautiful photos I have ever taken have come as a result of the most devastating moments of my life.

We took this one on the day of the memorial service of my 25-year old sister’s death:

African American Beauties | Melanin Poppin

We took this one at my uncle’s funeral who died of a sudden cardiac arrest before anyone had the chance to get ready:

If you can find light in darkness, why can't you find light in light?

We took these in the fall of 2016 when I was learning to capture calm in chaos, and find beauty in broken, and look to angels when I had nothing left, and accept that it was ok not to be ok:

Celebrating the small stuff at the pumpkin patch with family

Some of life's toughest moments have the most beautiful documented memories.

Sometimes we must learn to find the beauty in the broken...to learn its ok not to be ok.

These were some of the most beautiful pictures of my life. These were some of the most beautiful moments of my life – documented permanently. These were my silver linings in dark clouds. When I think of these moments, I smile through tears…

Yesterday, I noticed that even my bad days had good moments…that even my bad days could be mistaken for good days. Yesterday, I began to see that some of my toughest years had tender spots of goodness and light. Yesterday, I resolved that if I can document light in darkness then I can certainly document light in light.

So I thought I would share for everyone who could use a good day that yesterday was a good day, and today was a good day.

We could all stand to appreciate a good day for what it is. And even if the day was not good, we must learn to celebrate the small stuff. We must celebrate the moments of light because life is largely composed of moments we never want to forget, points in time that make us look back and smile, that make us look up and smile…because God looked down and smiled.

Learn to love a good day. Learn to relish a good day or maybe just a good moment. Document it. Hold on to it. Fine tune that attitude of gratitude.

Because if the pattern continues, if yesterday was a good day, and today was a good day, then tomorrow will be a good day.

And even if tomorrow holds more pain than promise, it still hold small stuff…ordinary glimmers of light with extraordinary impact. Tomorrow is worth celebrating!

***

How do you develop your own attitude of gratitude?

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Learn to Celebrate the Small Stuff | A Lesson on Finding the Light

Linked at Heart Encouragement and Moments of Hope

40 thoughts on “Learn to Celebrate the Small Stuff”

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  2. A beautiful message! I have a small journal on my kitchen counter. Every day, I jot down things that I am grateful for in my life. Just a word or two allows reminds me of all the blessings God is providing. I write things like “grandson giggles”, sunshine, birds chirping, cool floor on my bare feet, kisses from hubby, etc. I like to look back at the entries and be reminded of blessings.

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  3. Pingback: Learn to Celebrate the Small Stuff | We Were Meant to be Teachers!

  4. I needed to see this today, and of course, it would be your beautiful soul that sent this message out into the world. I have been struggling emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually through one of the toughest times of my life. My sister and I both had written off August 2018 as the one of the worst ever. Do I just stopped and took a second to look at the photos taken, the text messages and emails received, the love and support I have from so many friends (my family is pretty nonexistent at this point and have proven themselves to be unreliable in times of crisis). Through all the tears, turmoil, pain, fear, and exhaustion that has marked the last month, there have been glimmering moments of hope, smiles, strength, and love. Thank you for reminding me to take a step back and be grateful for those moments. They are something to cling to when it seems all is lost. You saved me today, my friend.

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    1. Awe! This is wonderful to hear. I remember feeling some of those same feelings in 2017… like I was drowning and as soon as I could catch my breath, I was dragged back under. But God is all I can say. So glad I could encourage you. May God continue to carry you through this tough season.

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  5. Love this!! I don’t celebrate the little things enough. You have encouraged me to not just celebrate the small stuff, like my girls going back to school today 🙌🏾, but to document those moments for years to come.

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    1. Girl, God has been on me about documenting. He has even led me to document daily on social media which actually isn’t the best for my stats, audience, etc, but He’s the only audience that counts so I’ve followed Him because He asked. I am forever grateful because it cause me to be really present. To try to soak it all in.

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  8. Love this (too)! I forget where I got this from, but when I’m feeling particularly down, I ask myself, “what’s wrong in this moment?” The answer is usually nothing. So sometimes we have to just take it moment by moment and recognize the beauty there too, kind of like what you’ve said.

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  12. I need to do more of this, Brittany! I love how you’ve taken an inventory of the good days–some tinged with great sorrow. Yet still they were good because of the people you got to share them with. I’m so sorry that you’ve lost your sister at such a young age–all of the losses you’ve faced in life. But I’m grateful that you are praising God in the good and the bad–knowing with God there is always good. Thanks for this!

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  16. Beautiful 🙂 I try and write down, even just a sentence or a phrase for each day, something good that happened during the day. I don’t always remember to do it everyday, but I figure if I keep trying, then eventually I will have all these positive moments to look back on when life feels overwhelming. God Bless 🙂

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  17. We’ve been told to live, expecting God to show up for us. I believe that’s a good way to live. Thanks so much for this post, Brittany. The attitude of gratitude is one we must pursue daily. Blessings to you.

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  18. It is good to be able to celebrate the small stuff. I am glad you have found a lot of good days and even good things on bad days. I send you all Many Blessings of Love, Light and Healing Energies, and May God Bless You All 🙂 ❤

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  19. “Every dark cloud has a silver lining”.
    I can definitely relate to this fantastic blog post. Sometimes healing and transformation comes out of challenging life situations.

    By the way these photos are pure magic! 🙂

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  20. Pingback: How Working Moms Achieve Work-Life Balance – ordinarilyextraordinarymom

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