I have been learning to find beauty in small things, joy in the everyday, mundane things of life. Nature has been helping me here, showing me repeatedly how very much beauty there is in the small. Not only that, but how vitally important the small things are. As I contemplated this, I got to thinking about a few things.
—The world glorifies the grand, but few of us climb Mt. Everest.
—There is power in small moments, short walks, and brief encounters with nature.
—It is through the small things that big things are accomplished.
Grand is Overrated
In a world that often glorifies grand gestures, extreme sports, and polar plunges, I have to pause and consider how much I let these big feats affect my mind. Hey, I love to read and hear about people who do amazing nature things (Mt. Everest), but let’s face it: very few of us accomplish the grand nature adventures we read about in National Geographic.
And that’s okay.
I grew up in a home with a father who was a man who lived the “go big or go home” mantra. He had the biggest gardens; he built a cabin with his own hands; he started a business and had huge success. He was a man of grand things. Big parties. Big cars. Big everything.
It impressed me as a child, but for many years, as an adult, it led me to be disinterested in the small. The mundane. This wasn’t my dad’s fault. It was simply a takeaway from my childhood. And the world supported my idea that big was better (I’m looking at you, social media). I thought small was, well, meh. Grand and big were what I wanted. The problem was, grand and big didn’t seem to come my way.
When I started discovering the little things in nature, I began to realize what magnificent beauty there was all around me. I began to see how the common and small-moment experiences held great power.
Think again about Mt. Everest. What a powerful feat that must be! To climb the highest mountain in the world and live to tell about it. Amazing! I’d never minimize such a daring and skilled accomplishment. But even my grand gesture father didn’t come close to such a climb. And the vast majority of people won’t.
And that’s okay.
Power in the Small
Let me say this: there is power in small moments spent in nature. An opposite thing I can think of from climbing Everest is watching a small anthill. And I’ve watched many anthills in my day (yes, as an adult). It isn’t hard. It isn’t impressive. It’s not something I talk about at parties. “Hey, I watched the coolest anthill the other day…”
No. I don’t think it would impress anyone. But what such small nature encounters have done for me is incredibly powerful. I have become more appreciative of everyday activities. I enjoy watching the busyness of bugs. I’ve learned to value short walks outside when I’m short on time. I grab brief encounters with nature (gazing out a window at the sky, watching a bird at a feeder, stopping to literally smell the roses).
There is power in the small. The brief. The everyday things of nature and of life.
Small Things, Big Accomplishments
It is through the small things that the big things are accomplished. Think about a raindrop or a seed. Raindrops have shaped the earth. Canyons and valleys have been sculpted by the persistent work of many drops of water. Slow and steady erosion efforts.
And who isn’t impressed by seeds? Imagine how small a pile of 100 seeds would make. I could hold them in my hands. But those same seeds, sown into the ground, would produce 100 towering trees that could never be held in my hands. It is absolutely mind-blowing!
Nature is always accomplishing big things from the small. And life is like that too, isn’t it? We do the small things repeatedly in order to effect change, build a home, and finish a project. And those small things are what make up life. A good life. And sometimes, if we keep at the small, a big thing will be accomplished. But sometimes a big thing isn’t the result; we simply remain in the everyday, mundane, small things.
And that’s okay.
The truth is, nature isn’t just in the extraordinary. There is plenty of ordinary to be found, and it is in these ordinary, accessible places I can find myself. I don’t need to climb to lofty summits or share a shoreline with coastal grizzlies or engage in any other extreme nature adventure. Would I pass up the opportunity? Well, I’m not a thrill seeker, so maybe… maybe not.
My point is this: don’t let the doctored-up pictures and influencers and fantastic stories fool you into agreeing with “go big or go home.” Sometimes home is a well-worn path in the woods or a wooden boat drifting on a hidden pond. Home is a feeling I have when I’m enjoying nature.
Take that five-minute walk outside. That morning cup of coffee in the sunshine. Smell the earth after it snows or rains. Experience the small things of nature and of life.
Enjoy the beauty of the small. Find joy in everyday nature. Stack up the ordinary things, and you will find your way into an extraordinarily beautiful life.
How to Embrace Small Pieces of Nature
—Step outside in the morning for a few deep breaths. Notice the sky, the air, the sounds.
—Go for a walk and look at trees, flowers, and birds. Even city streets have patches of green.
—Eat lunch outside when possible, even on sunny winter days.
—On a clear night, gaze at the stars or listen to nighttime sounds.
—Visit a local park or take a short walk after dinner.
Enjoy!
