The smallest victories
“Letting go of big expectations allowed me to celebrate even the smallest victories, to be utterly in the winning moment and thankful for my current state.” ~Hillary Allen, endurance athlete
A workshop student told me she experienced an epiphany after starting a daily gratitude journal. When she first began the practice, she struggled to find more than one thing “worth listing” at the end of each day. Then she remembered that simple pleasures and “small victories” deserved her appreciation. After she started writing them down, she noticed that her days were filled with them.
An uninterrupted hour of reading with a mug of tea … An unexpected card in the mail from an old friend … The sight of fresh produce when you walk into a market … The sun illuminating a glorious red maple on an autumn afternoon drive … A validating conversation with someone who “gets” you.
As we approach a season that revolves around gift-buying, lavish spending, and acquiring more stuff, it seems counterintuitive to focus on appreciating what we already have. But as today’s quote reminds us, “the smallest victories” are always there to celebrate. ~CL
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Cindy La Ferle
Throughout my career, I've worked as a book production editor, travel magazine editor, features writer, and weekly newspaper columnist. My award-winning lifestyles features and essays have appeared in many national magazines and anthologies, including Newsweek, Reader's Digest, The Christian Science Monitor, Writer's Digest, Victoria, Better Homes & Gardens, Bella Grace, and more. My weekly Sunday "Life Lines" column ran for 14 years in The Daily Tribune (Royal Oak, MI) and won a First Place (Local Columns) award from the Michigan Press Association. My essay collection, Writing Home, includes 93 previously published columns and essays focusing on parenthood and family life.
