“A multitude of small delights constitutes happiness.”
– Charles Baudelaire
I just ate a frozen Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. It was a small delight. I took little bites and chewed slowly, savoring them. I let the chocolate melt a little bit and felt the grains of sugar in the peanut butter on my tongue. It was a nice experience and it made me happy. It was a contributor to the “multitude of small delights” constituting my happiness.
I pay attention to these things. If I didn’t pay attention to them the way I do, they wouldn’t exist for me the ways they do. They would lose some potency. I like them potent.
Small delights are everywhere, but they’re easy to overlook. I can eat a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup pretty fast, even a frozen one. But, I didn’t. I would have missed something if I had.
This simple awareness changes things. It changes a moment, which adjusts the one after it…and so on. The sum of these shifts is a little more happiness in a day, which can feel like a lot more happiness.
And, this changes things, too. It may become a happier life. I hope so. But, taking some time enjoying a frozen peanut butter cup is never a waste no matter what.
Photo credit: Robin Malmanger
Dave Markwell is a life-long Des Moines liver and lover. Former owner of Waterland CrossFit and the Waterland Arcade, Dave uses his unique story-telling voice to help small businesses tell a better story, and his love for people to help folks live bigger and better lives. For more info, check out his website: wordsbydave.net
