The Magic of Little Things

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter, chatted the raindrops falling against the narrow strip of the railing of yet another ordinary flat in the crowded lanes of the city. The colony had a sheen of moisture, with colorful umbrellas being drawn out and school children rushing to find shelter.

Zoning out again, my mind visualized a pause at that moment. Like a pause in time.

A frozen raindrop hung in the air, just about to burst out of its shape and flow down the walls and into the gutter.

And then came in the thought, “What if I could collect all the raindrops before they burst-“, a loud honk interrupted that fantasy and I was transported back into the moment.

Let me describe the scene exactly in front of me. It might be something most are familiar with. A 13-inch-wide laptop with unfinished work tasks glaring at me, with a mug of steaming hot coffee on an old rusty wooden table in a tiny flat shared with expert small-talkers in a busy lane filled with chaiwalas and fruit vendors.

Long gone are those days when all I craved was the around-the-corner home-style bakery’s candies and sweet treats after music class. I still do, but with the change in lifestyles and surroundings follows the inclusion of novel habits. As we all grow older, priorities change. Does growing up matter? Yes. But, staying close to your inner you can have a great positive impact on your life. By holding on to the little things that we love keeps that connection going.  

How do we find little things that are close to us? For me, it’s all about what you do when nobody is watching and when you’re feeling silly and stuffed with dessert. It can range from random singing to reading old Tinkle comics to stepping out of the house just to see the sunset to just feeling fully content about the small things in life, even if it is just for one moment.

Keep walking towards finding one small thing that makes you happy and you’re set. The magic will unfold on its own.

Harshini O

1. Try to recollect moments or hobbies you loved. If you can’t, think of something you have always wanted to learn or do, and give it a shot. You just might find your Ikigai there. If you want to become a part-time artist, start with one art piece or activity per day. Ignore the frustration and just keep moving forward. One day, you’ll look back and just smile at how far you’ve come.
   
2. Spend time with nature. Allocate ten minutes per day at first and push it up to half an hour. The nature disconnect is one of the main reasons that lead to loss of interest and a foggy mind.
   
3. Surround yourself with positive people who have similar interests. This takes your creativity levels to different worlds due to exploration. If you can’t find people who like what you like, go on a self-supporting journey with yourself. Trust me, nothing beats that.

In the end, you do not have to follow a step-by-step process or assume that something needs to be achieved. It doesn’t even have to be an art form or a hobby. It can just be feeding puppies on the street or relishing rain patterns. As you all know, the journey matters more than the destination. 

“Take it slow. Do it your way.”