Major in the good.

Some advice I read recently: "Don't major in the minor." Instantly I understood its implication.  

So much little shit making us so damned jaded, fragmented, tense, cranky.  So many minor little itty bitty pests that bite and sting at us during the day.  All of it minor, yet absorbing most of our daily attention.

I can't help but wonder what would happen if we would only notice the irritation (which is unavoidable anyway, nearly reflexive) but not tend to it.  Don't scratch the itch!  Don't go there.  Just leave the irritating driver and cranky customer where you found them.  Five seconds ago they weren't on your radar and there's no law that says that since you noticed the annoyance when it appeared on your radar, you have to personally keep it there.

Just leave that shit where you found it.  That's what mama and dad always said, right?

So if we're not majoring in minors (which makes you minor in the majors, hey?) we can....maybe....hopefully....surely with deliberate practice start majoring in the majors.  The Good Stuff.

I've always felt Gratitude Journals to be simplistic.  If I'm truly grateful, I will always list my husband, children, friends, family, home, food, heat.  And if I'm just doing the daily stuff like: My coffee, the book I'm reading, the green light when I was running late--I feel like I'm not really doing it right.  Surely, we should embrace whatever positive we can, in any shape we can.  BUT.....I didn't keep up the gratitude journal.

Until recently when I decided to keep a list (sometimes mental, sometimes written) of "what went good," or "Shit that made it good today."  This is the little moments that actually made my heart light up for a moment, a smile lift my face, all that good-good stuff.  

Like:

The nice barista

The patron that flirted with me (who wasn't homeless and/or on drugs),

The co-shopper I helped in line by assisting them while they corralled their kids,

The "how's it going?" check-in text from my spouse,

 A funny joke my teen messaged me,

....all THAT stuff.  

Yeah, major in that.  Live it in the moment and savor it long afterwards.  It makes me happy to do so and it might do you the same way.