How to Appreciate and Make the Most of the Little Things in Life

Do you ever feel like the Universe is nudging you to pay attention?

I get these nudges all the time.

90% of the time, I think I’m paying attention however 10% of the time, I find that I’m distracted by my own thoughts and ideas that I forget to stop, tune in and listen.

The Universe is always giving us these little nudges, allowing us to course-correct or pivot on our path so that we’re aligned with our highest outcome.

These nudges appear in the forms of thoughts, visions, messages, words, feelings and sensations. They can be soft and subtle or Earth-shatteringly loud.

That’s the nudge I received around water during the winter snowpocalypse that happened in Texas in February. A completely freakish winter storm blanketed the state in 4-6 inches of snow that caused pipes to freeze and bust, electricity and gas to be turned off and made roads nearly impossible to drive. It felt like parts of the state just stopped for 3 days as people looked out their windows in helpless anticipation of relief.

I watched notifications appear on my phone from people around the city and neighborhoods looking for help, whether it was milk for their babies, warmth for the elderly or assistance with flooding. It took small pockets of people and their communities to step up to the plate where government failed.

I know. We helped one of our neighbors who’s home flooded when they were out of town. It took 7-9 families, all mopping and cleaning up water that had burst through the wall from frozen pipes.

There were 3 nudges that I received before and during this winter storm:

1. Get water.

I slept on this one, not hearing my Guides starting to poke at me beginning on Sunday, when the winter storm blew in and stopped traffic. I assumed that since we had a Berkey Water Filter, we were going to be fine. What’s the use of a water filter if you don’t have water to filter?

By Tuesday night, the nudges turned from a subtle poke to a loud, high-pitched insistent vibration that followed me into my dreams. I was awakened on Wednesday morning with a very clear and consistent message: “Collect water. NOW!”

So I went into overdrive, collecting 5-6 gallons of drinkable water until they turned off our water 3 hours later. We didn’t even have a tub collected of water to drain the toilets. We eventually had to resort to melting and boiling snow to flush. How humbling.

2. Get food stocked and ready.

I also slept on this important nudge. We had just gone to the grocery store the week before and the pantry ‘seemed’ stocked. Yet, three days into the forced home lockdown, we were sorely in need of supplies. I banged my head and fist against the wall in frustration, upset with myself for not getting the message from my Guides that said, “Go to the store on Saturday – when it’s still drivable and safe.”

I paid for that lesson. We managed to get to a grocery store in the middle of the week. It was a very hairy experience trying to get there with our vehicle sliding on black ice and doing a perilous dance of space and safety with other cars. We waited in line for over 2.5 hours to check out, while watching the pandemonium of people trying to buy eggs, milk and pallets of water. Everything was cleaned out, and there was still a line of people outside of the store waiting to get in and get supplies.

I was grateful that I listened to the nudge that said – “Just try. You’ll make it.”

3. Prepare for an emergency.

By the time I was really fully aware that we were in an emergent situation, I was in stress mode and operating in distraction. I wasn’t able to do work or focus on doing sessions with clients. The pressure of the storm and the environment was great, causing our electricity to flickerin and out, making me wonder how stable internet connection would be.

The nudges I received included getting candles, flashlights and our lithium battery pack charged. I got the nudge to help our outdoor chickens out by covering their coop with tarp to prevent the wind from cutting through the boards. I followed the nudge to get blankets, sleeping bags and portable heaters ready.

Everyone in the state was being asked to set their heater at 63º. I just wasn’t sure how long the storm would really last.

In the end, what turned out to be a very surreal and stressful event eventually passed. Life returned to ‘normal’ and within one week – people were outside wearing shorts and enjoying the weather without a single sign of snow around.

I could have easily just returned back to ‘normal’ as well but my Guides and Record Keepers weren’t letting me off the hook so easily.

Once the snow melted and life resumed, I realized how much I took for granted all the little things. I took for granted being able to flip a light switch on or turn the tap and water would just run freely. I took for granted my immediate access to absolutely anything I wanted. I took for granted my aging parents who didn’t have heat for 2-3 days and managed to survive because they had prepared ahead of time. I took for granted my partner who made fires happen in our fireplace, who drove through the icy roads to get us to a store or who settled my frazzled nerves when I was worried.

What came about from this experience was a deep lesson in three things:

1. Pay attention to the nudges and follow through on what your Guides are asking you to do before a catastrophe happens
2. Appreciate everything you have – you can never assumed you’ll always have it
3. Believe in the kindness of people who are willing to help each other out during tough times

So take a good look at all the blessings you have around you. Take a moment to be grateful for all the little things. It’s these little things that stack up and matter, letting us know how good we really have it.