It’s the small moments.

This was my moment.

I walked into the living room this morning and the very first thing I saw was our dog’s worn stuffed bear sitting proudly on the mantle. Larry must have set it there while tidying up last night, but this morning it looked almost ceremonial, its ragged little face lifted toward the painting behind it.
It made me smile immediately.
And in that instant, I remembered something important:
joy begets joy.
These tiny glimmers, the ones we almost overlook, are often the doorway to everything else. When we actually notice them, when we stop for even a breath and lean into the feeling they stir, something shifts. The mind wakes up to goodness. It begins looking for more.
So I let myself stay in that moment.
I didn’t rush past it.
I took it in fully, enjoyed it, even let myself grok it in that deeper sense of truly absorbing the moment.
And so my day of opening myself to joyful encounters begins.
This is how joy starts.
Not with something grand, but with a single spark you choose to notice.
Lean in to one small moment, and watch what happens.
Life has a way of offering a whole buffet of delightful encounters when you meet it with open eyes.
Today began with a ragged stuffed bear on a mantle.
I can hardly wait to see what comes next.
Your turn.
As you move through your day, take time to notice one small thing that makes you smile.
Hold still for it.
Let it register.
Lean in.
Let’s begin a chain of small joys together. When your moment arrives, return to this article and share it.
I’d love to hear what door opened for you. I’d love to participate in your moment of joy.
-Jan