Another tiny, perfect thing is the dad who was in the grocery store line ahead of me. He needed to grab a new bag of chips, so he put his kids in the cart and wheeled around the store like they were at an amusement park. The giggles of glee could be heard the entire time. It was magical.
I love this. I am a Buddhist poet writer painter calligrapher and have developed a practice similar to this, a sort of morning reflection. This adds texture that I sometimes miss. Texture is vital in painting and life. Maybe don't even realize we see, and not just feel, it sometimes. Thank you, and enjoy your day.
This was exactly what I needed today. I've been journaling "three things I'm thankful for" most days over the last few years. This new year I've been feeling that I needed to expand that practice but I wasn't sure how. Tiny perfect things feels like a natural progression and I love that these things (unlike the thankfuls) don't only reside in that space of gratitude. They can reside in awe, surprise, fascination, and on and on. The possibilities are endless.
This is so freaking beautiful! I have actually been doing this in my mind, but you just named it so well. I need to start writing them down, but I definitely search for them every day. I am finding I can be less anxious and more joyful on the days when I have this perspective and see life through the lens of these little things. The last year of my life has been filled with hardship and great change, so seeking out these "tiny perfect things" has been a survival tactic for me. An anchor.
Also, I've recently starting posting pictures on my personal Instagram account that are more akin to the original vibe of IG back in the day. Random pictures, sometimes with fun filters, of anything and everything that I find interesting. Sometimes, I don't even use captions! IG algorithms don't even care about photos anymore, so I am choosing to do what I want with my own damn feed and not care about metrics or any of that bullshit. My page is for me and I love how it used to be a collection of life moments, pics of friends, random nature & food photos, etc. So I'm bringing back that spirit! (That was a long rant but...seemed relevant to the "tiny perfect things" conversation 😂)
I do something similar; I have, what I call, a Gratitude Jar. It's this tall, cylindrical glass jar that sits in a visible and accessible spot in my home. I cut up little squares of beautiful, colourful scrapbook paper that I have stacked beside the jar. Throughout the year, (the goal being as often as I can/as close to once a day as I can get, but I do not reprimand myself if I don't follow a certain timeline) I write down the things I am grateful for, on the paper squares, fold them up, and pop them in the jar. Sometimes it's small things, sometimes i have the pleasure of writing down very big things, but anything goes; just any single thing that I am grateful for in that moment. On New Year's Eve, I dump out the squares and read them all. It's a great way to visually see, and consciously acknowledge, that even during a "bad year," there are many good things that happened and many things to feel grateful for. It's a really nice ritual that I have been doing for at least four years now. New Year's Eve is always a tough time for me, so that is why I think it is extra great to be able to find joy through this activity during a hard time.
Waking up to these words is my first tiny, perfect thing.
I am honored. As per usual.
Another tiny, perfect thing is the dad who was in the grocery store line ahead of me. He needed to grab a new bag of chips, so he put his kids in the cart and wheeled around the store like they were at an amusement park. The giggles of glee could be heard the entire time. It was magical.
Oh my gosh I love this so much. What a moment, I can see it.
I love this. I am a Buddhist poet writer painter calligrapher and have developed a practice similar to this, a sort of morning reflection. This adds texture that I sometimes miss. Texture is vital in painting and life. Maybe don't even realize we see, and not just feel, it sometimes. Thank you, and enjoy your day.
Texture is everything, isn't it? You're so welcome, I'd love to see what you create!
This inspires me so much! So far the year has been tough and today I will shift my perspective to this practice. Thank you!
If we can help, let us know!
This was exactly what I needed today. I've been journaling "three things I'm thankful for" most days over the last few years. This new year I've been feeling that I needed to expand that practice but I wasn't sure how. Tiny perfect things feels like a natural progression and I love that these things (unlike the thankfuls) don't only reside in that space of gratitude. They can reside in awe, surprise, fascination, and on and on. The possibilities are endless.
Ahh! I would love to see the fruits of this change. Feel free to share links anytime, until Substack allows images to be added to comments!
I've been doing this ever since I started working with plants and flowers last year. It's created wonder and joy every day and I love it.
This is so freaking beautiful! I have actually been doing this in my mind, but you just named it so well. I need to start writing them down, but I definitely search for them every day. I am finding I can be less anxious and more joyful on the days when I have this perspective and see life through the lens of these little things. The last year of my life has been filled with hardship and great change, so seeking out these "tiny perfect things" has been a survival tactic for me. An anchor.
Also, I've recently starting posting pictures on my personal Instagram account that are more akin to the original vibe of IG back in the day. Random pictures, sometimes with fun filters, of anything and everything that I find interesting. Sometimes, I don't even use captions! IG algorithms don't even care about photos anymore, so I am choosing to do what I want with my own damn feed and not care about metrics or any of that bullshit. My page is for me and I love how it used to be a collection of life moments, pics of friends, random nature & food photos, etc. So I'm bringing back that spirit! (That was a long rant but...seemed relevant to the "tiny perfect things" conversation 😂)
I love this and you nearly read my mind. My New Year’s resolution was to begin journaling and what a perfect, lovely way to start!
I do something similar; I have, what I call, a Gratitude Jar. It's this tall, cylindrical glass jar that sits in a visible and accessible spot in my home. I cut up little squares of beautiful, colourful scrapbook paper that I have stacked beside the jar. Throughout the year, (the goal being as often as I can/as close to once a day as I can get, but I do not reprimand myself if I don't follow a certain timeline) I write down the things I am grateful for, on the paper squares, fold them up, and pop them in the jar. Sometimes it's small things, sometimes i have the pleasure of writing down very big things, but anything goes; just any single thing that I am grateful for in that moment. On New Year's Eve, I dump out the squares and read them all. It's a great way to visually see, and consciously acknowledge, that even during a "bad year," there are many good things that happened and many things to feel grateful for. It's a really nice ritual that I have been doing for at least four years now. New Year's Eve is always a tough time for me, so that is why I think it is extra great to be able to find joy through this activity during a hard time.