Living Life To The Fullest On A Fine Fall Evening
“Happiness consists more in the small conveniences of pleasures that occur every day, than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom to a man in the course of his life.” ~Benjamin Franklin
Living life to the fullest is often found in the simplest pleasures of life. Things do not have to be big, exotic, expensive, or complicated to be enjoyable. I find that the deepest, richest moments of my life are brief times filled with common things combined in an uncommon way. It is like a “perfect storm”. All the perfect elements of a great life just seem to mix together into a wonderful moment.
I experienced this last night. My wife and two daughters cooked out hamburgers on our patio in our backyard just after sunset. It was a fantastically beautiful Fall evening. The stars were out and a cool breeze was blowing. We ate a very tasty, but simple meal and then snuggled up in a couple of chairs to stare at the stars.
My wife and I each had a kid on our laps. There was just enough coolness in the air that we could cover up with a light blanket. Sitting there in that chair with a warm and snuggly kid in my lap looking up at the twinkling stars and bright moon was heaven on earth! A deep sense of fulfillment and thankfulness filled my heart.
The moment didn’t last long. That’s the way it seems to be with these “perfect storms”. They come and go in the blink of an eye. That’s why recognizing these moments and drinking from them deeply is so important. I am so thankful for our time last night. It warms and enriches my heart right now just thinking about it!
Don’t miss these moments as you carry on with your life! This is where the marrow of true joy and fulfillment exists. These fleeting times, when added together, equate to a life well lived!
Stop waiting or chasing after something that may never come and start enjoying what you have right now!
Have you had a similar experience? Please share it and let me know how you found happiness in simple pleasures.
Photo by JelleS
What a lovely evening you’ve spent with your family! Moments like these are definitely to be treasured. Kids just add to the fulfilment!
Read Evelyn Lim´s lastest article – Can The Artist See The Big Picture?
@Evelyn – It was a very nice time. I hope that highlighting it here it will help myself and others to be more aware of such moments in the future.
Thanks for your comment!
Great story Jeff. There’s just nothing like cuddling with your kids. Having three, we have to rotate…
Read Ron@TheWisdomJournal´s lastest article – 10 Debt Collection DON’TS
@Ron – It was definitely awesome to snuggle up and enjoy a nice evening. I guess three just means that there is more love to go around!
Thanks for taking the time to comment!
How lovely that you stop to recognise these little moments. We call them ‘joy moments’in our house. We often sit on the front steps late in the afternoon because the kids get excited when we watch them play when it is slowly getting dark. There is a deep sense of serenity. We look at each other and laugh and say “yep…. joy”.
I think if we get into the habit of finding joy and happiness in these everday moments, we have a happier life overall. Some of us just skim through life waiting for ‘big’ events to ‘make us happy’. When there it is, tucked away in the little things that you have recognised.
PS – really enjoying your writing Jeff.
Read BusyWoman´s lastest article – Busy Playing….on our STAYCATION.
@BusyWoman – It is awesome that you actually have a name for these. I love ‘joy moments’!
I agree that the more you find happiness in everyday happenings, the better your life will be. I hope this helps people take more notice of these simple pleasures.
Thanks so much for adding to the discussion!
Today I went to a funeral for someone I didn’t know (supporting my co-worker who just lost her father) and just fifteen minutes ago, my partner called and told me he was almost hit by a car just a minute before. Those two experiences today plus your post is helping me put things in prospective. I am going to go home, enjoy nature and spend a quiet even alone with my partner. You never know when your life can change dramatically.
Read Carla´s lastest article – Green and Chic Lists – 10/8/08
I was working in my kitchen this afternoon, glanced out the back door and saw about 2 dozen yellow butterflies flitting around some big red zinnias back there. I stopped what I was doing, went out in the yard to watch for a bit, and was thankful to be where I was at that moment!
Read Mary@SimplyForties´s lastest article – Going Traveling
Jeff,
Thanks for your account of a fine Fall evening. I had a similar experience on Saturday with my family. Kathryn and I bundled our two boys up in warm clothing and went for a nice long walk. The sun was shining and the air was nice and crisp. After a week in the office I loved the simple fact that I was outdoors with my family.
Read Peter | The Change Blog´s lastest article – The Way of Retreat: How To Get Promoted Without Doing Anything
@Carla – Life does change in the blink of an eye. It is important that we enjoy what we have while we have it.
@Mary – Nature is incredible! Kudos to you for stopping what you were doing to drink it in.
@Peter – Being outside this time of year really refreshes me. It is like feeding my soul.
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences! I hope to hear from others.
Well put! I find some of my most precious moments are time spent with family, friends, and nature – or any combination of the three. That must be why I have such fond memories of family camping trips when I was a kid.
Read Ben´s lastest article – Zecco Trading Promotion – Investing While Trades are Free and Stocks are Cheap
[...] Super Charged Life had a great story about a wonderful family moment he experienced [...]