The little things in life matter most. However, we get so caught up in the big moments that we don't see them.

In today's fast-paced, forward-thinking world, it's easy to forget about the little things in life. People get so consumed with the big house, the flashy car, and the million dollar dream, that they forget to relish in the happiness that the little things in life bring.

The big things are great, but I have found that the simplest of things in life have made me the happiest. Dr. Glenn Williams, a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Nottingham Trent University, says, “An effective route to happiness is not necessarily through experiencing major events. Rather it is the small, and often unexpected pleasures in life that can help us build more meaningful lives.”

In the words of Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it.” Are you ready to learn 7 ways that you can start valuing the little things in life?

Watch the video below:

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Do you pay attention to the little things in life?

Too often we become obsessed with achieving big goals in life. However, we forget that all of those big goals are comprised of hundreds of small decisions that lead to the result that we are after.

Don't get me wrong, having big goals that you work towards is really important. However, if you get too caught up in the final destination, you will ignore the journey. As Bruce Burton said, “Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think there are no little things.” 

We underestimate the power of a small gesture of kindness, a loving embrace, a smile from a stranger, or words of compassion These little things in life tend to have a ripple effect. A single drop of water can create a wave of change, and so can you.

You don't have to do something monumental in order to change your life or the life of someone else.

We've been conditioned to believe that the ordinary things in life are boring and uninspiring, which is why we tend to live for the big moments. We are inundated with messages like, “Think big!” However, when you adopt the mindset that big is better than small, you fail to notice that life is comprised of a series of small magical moments.

If you neglect to enjoy the little things in life, you are only left with challenges, struggles, and stressors. That is no way to live. When you stop and take the time to smell the roses, you have a greater appreciation for life's beauty. Research shows that those who regularly take notice of something beautiful are 12 percent more likely to say that they are satisfied with their lives.

Here are 7 ways that you can start to value the little things in life.

1. Slow Down

Life moves so fast that it can feel as if we are on autopilot. Do you ever feel like there isn't enough time during the day to accomplish everything? If so, you aren't alone. This way of thinking has become the norm. When we are in a state of perpetual doing, we can run ourselves into the ground and forget to enjoy the moments that make life worth living.

In his book, Thank You For Being Late: An Optimist's Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations (Version 2.0, With a New Afterword) Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tom Friedman points out that the most meaningful things in life aren’t things that can be obtained through technology. He suggests that “The faster the world gets … the more you need to step back and appreciate everything that’s old and slow.”

Work isn't going away. It will always be there, so why not slow down for a few minutes and bask in the simplicities of your day? They are there for a reason, so I encourage you to start noticing them more. Whatever you enjoy doing in life, slow down and savor those experiences more often.

2. Help Others

Think back to a moment when you helped someone. How was it received and how did it make you feel? Helping someone can be achieved in a number of small ways, whether that's by giving a compliment to smiling at a stranger.

I believe that the secret to long-lasting happiness and fulfillment lies in helping others. Unfortunately, a lot of people get caught up in the hustle and bustle of their own lives, that they forget to think about others.

We are all on this crazy roller coaster of a ride that we call life, together. Why not support one another through the highs and lows? When we step outside of our own world and contribute to the lives of others, it gives us a sense of purpose. No contribution is too small. Open your eyes to the needs of those around you and ask yourself, “How can I be of service?”

By turning your focus on others, you will gain more perspective on your challenges, realizing that they aren't as bad as you made them out to be. We can improve our own lives, simply by helping others improve theirs. What a simple and beautiful idea.

Moreover, helping others is infectious. Those who feel your compassion will, in turn, be inspired to be more compassionate themselves. Be the change that you desire to see in the world. It's the little things in life that can have the biggest impact.

3. Adopt An Attitude of Gratitude

An attitude of gratitude helps us to value the little things in life that we often take for granted. The more thankful that we are for what we have, the less likely we are to focus on what we don’t have. This is why I am a big believer in the power of a morning ritual.

By starting your day with a grateful heart and being present with yourself, it gives you the inspiration that you need in order to see the good in everything. This is why I love keeping a gratitude journal. By recording my daily blessings, I move throughout my day feeling more optimistic and happier overall.

I believe that if we want to feel fully alive and happy, we need to live in the present moment. A Harvard study found that we spend about 47 percent of our waking hours thinking about what isn’t going on. In other words, we are not present for almost half of our lives, proving that a wandering mind is not a happy mind.

Being mindful allows us to appreciate the little things in life, instead of worrying about what's to come. Chicag0-based therapist, Chelsea Hudon says that “We often miss out on life’s little treasures because instead of using our senses to engage in the world around us, we remain in ‘our heads,' worrying about the future or ruminating about the past.”

Being present starts with self-awareness. It's about paying attention to what is going on around you, without trying to change anything.

A great way to ensure that you are living in the present moment every day is to create a morning ritual. When you wake up, it is so important to not get caught up in your thoughts. The morning is an opportunity for you to start fresh and set the tone for your day. As part of your ritual, I encourage you to create a mindfulness practice, like yoga or meditation. Doing so will allow you to calm your mind, connect with yourself, and feel a sense of deep gratitude for yourself and your life.

5. Smile More

Research has shown that smiling releases serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that produces feelings of happiness and well-being. Think about the little things in life that make you smile, whether that's listening to the sound of the rain, walking in nature, writing in your journal, or enjoying a bath.

The people that find a reason to smile, despite their life circumstances, are oftentimes the most resilient. Every time shit hits the fan, although they may be disappointed, they will still remain hopeful and determined to find the silver lining. Why? Because they have programmed their mind to look for the good.

In the words of Mother Teresa, “I will never understand all of the good that a simple smile can accomplish.” If you are feeling negative emotions, a smile can instantly shift how you are feeling. We forget how quickly we can brighten someone else's day simply by smiling at them. This proves that the little things in life mean the most.

6. Stop Comparing Yourself To Others

Do you look at others and feel jealousy or envy for what they have? If so, it's time to stop. Comparing yourself to others will only cause you pain and suffering. Instead, focus on how far YOU have come, and do the work to define your own version of success.

Social comparison is the killer of dreams. Many of us can be so hard on ourselves. When we turn our attention to others' lives, we neglect our own. As a result, we can miss out on a lot of amazing opportunities.

Sit back and think about all of the little things that make your journey so special.  This is an act of self-love. Count your blessings and embrace all of your strengths. If you only concentrate on what you don't have, you will never have enough. This scarcity mentality will affect every area of your life.

If you are going to compare yourself to anyone, make it count and compare yourself to you! How can you continually upgrade your life so that you are growing and evolving into the best version of your higher self, every day? Don't give away your power. Love your story and trust that you are on the path to success, whatever that may look like.

7. Spend More Time In Nature

Have you ever experienced a wave of positive emotions as soon as you immerse yourself in nature, whether that's going for a hike in the mountains or running in the forest? Spending time in nature is a beautiful way to connect back to yourself and what is important to you.

Oftentimes we forget what a powerful experience it can be to activate all of our senses. The act of breathing in fresh air and feeling the ground underneath your feet is a reminder of all of the small wonders of the world that we take for granted. 

Over 100 studies have shown that being in nature, living near nature, or even viewing nature in paintings and videos can have positive impacts on our brains, bodies, feelings, thought processes, and social interactions. Pay attention to these micro-moments because they can help you cultivate a great sense of connection to yourself and the world at large.

When you have an appreciation for the little things in life, you experience optimal fulfillment and meaning.

Sometimes the journey is more important than the destination. I encourage you to be mindful and pay more attention to the little things in life. One day you will wake up and realize that, in actuality, they were the big things.

Are you ready to start living every day with confidence, passion, and unstoppable energy? CLICK HERE for instant access to my free Morning Ritual Mastery cheatsheet!

Do you want to learn why it's important to adopt an attitude of gratitude? CLICK HERE to read the article that I wrote on Medium!

Want to be happy? Here’s the secret. The pursuit of happiness is a universal desire. We are all striving to have more of it in our lives.

The challenge that many people face is that they try to find happiness, in the form of external circumstances or rewards. This form of happiness is only temporary.

This idea is supported by research that suggests that only 10 percent of our happiness comes from external factors. The rest of the happiness equation is made up of our genetics, the thoughts, and behaviors that we do deliberately, and our attitude.

People fail to realize that happiness comes from within, and the degree to which you experience it is entirely in your control. In the words of Many Hale, “Happiness is an inside job. Don’t assign anyone else that much power over your life.”

Want to be happy? Here’s the secret. It’s easier than you think.

Watch the video below:

(Click here to watch on YouTube)

(iTunes Podcast Coming Soon)

Do you want to learn how to create an empowering morning ritual? CLICK HERE to join my Morning Ritual Mastery program!

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Happiness flows more easily into our lives when we focus on the positive. Here’s where the problem lies. As human beings, we are hard wired to look for the negative.

This is supported by research that shows that the brain reacts more strongly to negative stimuli. Thus, our attitudes are more heavily influenced by bad news, rather than good news.

It’s easy to blame others for our downfalls, but ultimately we are the ones who are responsible for our lives. We can either rise up, take accountability and change what doesn’t feel good, or we can dwell in self-loathing and despair. Which sounds better to you?

Don’t dwell on the negative. Rather, wake up every day and ask yourself, “What is the good in this situation?” Doing so will allow you to train your brain to continually look for the positive and celebrate life to the fullest.

We all need to get out of our heads and into our hearts more. The head is great for processing information and breaking down thoughts, but our hearts are our compass, our seat of truth, and the place that we go to when we are seeking alignment.

A great way to strengthen the heart muscle is through adopting an attitude of gratitude. No matter what our circumstances are in life, we can all be grateful for something. What are you grateful for?

The feeling of happiness is a state that is achieved by way of being present with yourself and being grateful for what you have. If you actively look for the good, you will find it.

Gratitude has been shown to have countless benefits; some of which include health, happiness, satisfaction with life, and the way we relate to others.

Every single day, as part of my morning routine, I take part in a gratitude exercise in my 5-Minute Journal, which inspires me to start my day with a grateful heart. Take 5 minutes every day and write down what it is that you are grateful for. This is a simple, yet powerful exercise.

Do you want to be more happy? Here’s the secret. Let happiness find you by finding your flow and engaging in valued activities that bring you joy and fulfillment. These are the experiences that contribute to the feeling of happiness.

Happiness is a choice that we have to make every day. Create a morning ritual and engage in something every day that makes you happy. When you make this commitment to yourself, these healthy habits will shift your mindset, allowing you to see the good in everything.

Want to be happy? Here’s the secret. Make the decision to be happy NOW! Focus on it, feel it, and live it.

Take it from David Cuschieri, “Every morning I make the biggest decision of my life: To be happy today. All I know is the here and now. What happened yesterday and what may happen tomorrow is either gone or hasn’t happened yet.”

Do you want to learn how to create an empowering morning ritual? CLICK HERE to join my Morning Ritual Mastery program!

I want to share how you can be more grateful in life. Gratitude is the simple practice of observing and appreciating all of the amazing gifts and blessings in your life.

To have an attitude of gratitude means that you choose to focus on what you have, rather than dwell on what you don’t have. The result? It can improve your physical, mental, and emotional health.

Recent research shows that a daily gratitude practice can lead to increased concentration, optimism, improved sleep quality, and a greater sense of connection to others. Despite these benefits of practicing gratitude, many of us take so many things in our lives for granted.

In the words of William Arthur Mode, “Gratitude can turn common days into Thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” Are you ready to be more grateful in life?

Watch the video below:

(Click here to watch on YouTube)

Do you want to learn how to create a morning ritual that will teach you how to be more grateful in life? CLICK HERE to purchase my Morning Ritual Mastery course!

In their search of experiencing the exciting highs of life, many people have lost sight of the reality. Most of life is comprised of a series of small moments.

Instead, they spend their lives pursuing goals like making more money, paying off bills, or attracting a partner. Some people believe that these things will make them feel happy. If you don’t already feel grateful for what you have, how do you expect that you will be happy with more?

If you want to experience true happiness, learn to appreciate the small moments, as they are the ones that will have a lasting impact on your life.

Gratitude is one of the most important rituals that I practice in my daily life. As part of my morning ritual I do a 5 Minute Journal exercise, which inspires me to start and end my day with gratitude. In this journal, there are 3 questions I ask myself every morning:

1. “What am I grateful for?”
2. “What would make today great?”
3. “What is my daily affirmation?”

This exercise primes my brain for happiness. Research shows that a five-minute a day gratitude journal can increase your long-term well being by more than 10 percent, which is the same impact as doubling your income.

Spend a few minutes every morning feeling grateful. When you condition your mind to focus on the good every day, your entire perspective on the world around you will change. The simplest way to feel gratitude is to ask yourself empowering questions.

In his book, “Emotional Time: The Importance of Gratitude” Carl De Wet says that “Practicing gratitude daily is important because the intentions you hold for your day influence your day.”

There are so many things to be grateful for every day of our lives. All you need to do is focus on it and feel it. In this moment, what are you grateful for? Life is a series of a thousand tiny miracles. Notice them. This is how to be more grateful in life.

Do you want to learn how to create a morning ritual that will teach you how to be more grateful in life? CLICK HERE to purchase my Morning Ritual Mastery course!

Today I want to talk about the illusion of happiness. I believe that happiness is a universal desire. Deep down, we all want to be happy. Unfortunately, in today’s world, genuine happiness is a rare commodity. People who have bought into the illusion of happiness use things like money, relationships, friends, their body, etc., as vehicles to achieve certain ‘positive’ emotional states.

The more you ‘go after' happiness, the more fleeting it becomes. Materialistic things won’t buy you happiness. If you are constantly chasing the idea of happiness, you will live a life of pain and disappointment. Instead of focusing on the external rewards of life, focus on your internal state.

Happiness is a choice. There are people in this world that have nothing, and still, they choose to be happy. Similarly, there are people who have all the money in the world, but they still aren’t fulfilled. Whatever the circumstances are in our lives, we always have the power to choose how we feel.

In the words of A.R. Lucas, “If there’s even a slight chance at getting something that will make you happy, risk it. Life’s too short, and happiness is too rare.” Are you ready to drop the illusion of happiness, and live from a place of joy, gratitude, and fulfillment?

Watch the video below:

(Click here to watch on YouTube)

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Do you want to learn how to create a morning ritual that will bring more inner happiness into your life? CLICK HERE to join my course, Morning Ritual Mastery!

I'm not saying that there won't be challenges that arise in life that try to shake your happiness. The question remains, “How does someone sustain a positive state during times of unhappiness and duress?” It all comes down to their mindset.

These people make happiness their top value in life. They engage in a process of self-reflection, learn how to master their emotions, and find peace within themselves, which in turn, allows them to experience inner happiness.

They know that the direction that their lives take depends solely on them and them alone. They don’t search for things or people to make them happy. In turn, they achieve and attract more into their lives. There are 24 hours in a day. You can either spend those hours being happy or sad.

For myself, I know that once I started putting happiness first, my life changed, on a physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual level. One strategy that I adopted in order to condition my state of happiness, is a morning ritual. Every day, I take the time to honour myself. I reflect and show gratitude for all of the blessings that exist in my life.

If you prioritize your happiness, I can guarantee you that it will make everything in your life easier. When you start your day feeling full, you overflow with love, happiness, and abundance, which has a contagious effect on others and the world at large.

The illusion of happiness makes people believe that if they can find happiness everything else will be okay. But there isn't a magic pill for happiness. Rather, it is a daily practice. Have you bought into the illusion of happiness? If you are aren’t happy with your life, try shifting your mindset, and adopting an attitude of gratitude.

Abraham Lincoln once said that, “People can be as happy or unhappy as they make up their mind to be.” When you adopt a happy mindset, being happy won’t feel like work. It will just be your natural state, and that is when you will start attracting amazing things into your life.

If you aren’t living the kind of life that brings you inner joy, happiness, and fulfillment, I challenge you to start the journey towards a happy life. The first step is connecting with that place of inner happiness that resides within you. It won’t be easy, but nothing in life that is worthwhile ever comes easy.

Drop the illusion of happiness. Don’t wait for things to happen in order to be happy. Choose happiness in your life, NOW.

Do you want to learn how to create a morning ritual that will bring more inner happiness into your life? CLICK HERE to join my course, Morning Ritual Mastery!

Video transcript

Hey, everyone, this is Stefan from ProjectLifeMastery.com and today I want to talk to you about something that I believe that most people in society today don't value enough. It's something that I believe that we all really want deep down inside. We all crave it, we all desire it, and what that really is is to be happy. I believe that all human beings really want to be happy in their lives. We want to feel a sense of joy, fulfillment, and meaning.

The challenge that I've observed is that most people in society today have bought into the lie and the illusion that happiness, joy, and fulfillment come from outside of ourselves. That you have to put your focus and emphasis on the external results and rewards of life, instead of focusing internally. You need to understand and know that the happiness that you are craving and seeking is already within you.

That's why I think a lot of people only focus on making money. They want to make a certain amount of money, and create a certain lifestyle or freedom, buy a car, or a house, or some sort of materialistic possession. Or they may be more focused on their body and achieving a certain body weight, or maybe it's attracting a man or a woman into their lives and having love and a great relationship.

Don't get me wrong, I think those are all great things. They're all important. I've pursued those in my life as well. However, the challenge is that when you believe that you need to have something outside of yourself in order to be happy, instead of recognizing and understanding that you could be happy right now regardless of your outside circumstances, regardless of having a car, a relationship, an ideal body, or a lot of money.

There are people in this world that have nothing. They're broke, in debt, poor, alone, sick or dying, and yet they still have decided, regardless of their circumstances, to be happy, joyful, and cheerful. Similarly, there are people out there that have a lot of money, and they have everything on the outside world, yet they're not happy or fulfilled.

That's why you see so many celebrities and famous people commit suicide, because they are depressed and unhappy. You see them have it all, but deep down, they haven't learned to master their emotions and really find happiness within themselves. I was reading the other day that there are over 2,000 billionaires in the world. Every five days in China there's a new billionaire, every six days in the United States there's a new billionaire. I believe that what's more rare than a billionaire is someone that's really happy and fulfilled.

That is what I look for in human beings. People that I want to learn from. People that I respect the most, aren't just the people that have a lot of money. That's great, but I look at whether or not they are really happy and fulfilled. Most people use their business, money, their body, relationships, friends, or whatever it might be, as a vehicle to go after and achieve certain emotional states. That's the belief system that they have programmed in their minds.

In the world of marketing today, that is what they are selling to you. When you look at a magazine or you watch TV, you're being marketed to buy a product. Ultimately, what you're really after is the emotion that you believe that a product can provide for you, or the result that it will provide for you. It's not true, my friends. In fact, what if, instead, I were to propose this to you – instead of believing that in order to be happy, you need to achieve or get something outside of yourself to be happy, what if you decided that you were going to be happy regardless.

I'm going to be happy regardless of what my outside world looks like, just because I choose to. We are all in control of our emotional states. Regardless of what's going on, you can always look for the good. You can always have something to be grateful for. Imagine what it would feel like if you operated from a place of happiness first, and made prioritizing your happiness a higher value on your list. What if doing so helped you to attract and achieve more in your life?

Choose to put happiness first, and create a powerful ritual in your life, where every morning you commit to spending time focusing on happiness and taking in life's gifts. Trust me, there have been times in my life when my life didn't look so good.

There were times in my life when I was really struggling, and I had a lot to be unhappy about. I knew that if I could be happy now, despite the chaos and adversity in my life, then I'd really have mastered life to a much higher level. I would have taken control of my life, and that was the most important thing. What I found is that if you actually prioritize your happiness, and make the decision that you are going to be happy despite your life circumstances, I can almost guarantee you that it's going to make everything else in your life much easier.

For example, maybe you're in a relationship, but you want to take it to another level, or maybe your relationship is not going so well. I can promise you that if you're a lot happier, you're probably going to uplift your current relationship that you might already be in.

Similarly, I can promise you that if you're a lot happier, you're probably going to make better food choices. You're probably going to want to go outside and exercise and take better care of yourself, because you're already happy, and that's going to result in you being able to achieve your health and fitness goals that much faster. I can almost promise you that if you're happier, then that's going to help you improve the amount of money that you make. It's going to help you feel more motivated to start your business, to grow your business, to perform a lot better at your job.

I think a lot of people have it backward. You have to dehypnotize yourself into understanding that happiness has to be important than anything. Otherwise, what's going to happen is that you're going to achieve the things that you set out to achieve – the car, the house, the body, and the relationship – but here's what's going to happen. Once you get those things, you're going to realize that they did not make you happy.

Regardless of all the things that you've worked so hard to acquire, because you believed that they would give you happiness, you're going to feel a sense of emptiness inside. Then you're going to look for another goal to achieve. I'm here to tell you that I believe that the better way of going about it is to make happiness a more important priority.

Not a lot of people put enough value on happiness because it's not as tangible as a car, house, a body, a girlfriend, or a boyfriend. You can measure that, it's more specific. Whereas with happiness, it's something that people can't tangibly measure. Happiness is different for everybody. There's certain universal principles and patterns of happiness that, without a doubt, can help enhance that. I'm not saying that money and a relationship can't amplify it, but it's not the sole source of happiness.

In fact, you don't even want your happiness to be dependent on something outside of yourself, because if it's only dependent on a man or a woman, or a relationship, or a body, or money, then what happens when that goes away , your happiness will go away with it. Here's what I want to propose to you – make happiness a higher priority, shift your mindset, and your belief system. Decide that you are going to be happy now.

Decide that you are going to spend the first part of your day, which is the most important part of your day, and create a ritual. Do what makes you happy. Whatever that might be. I know for myself, I've got crazy rituals that I do. I enjoy learning each day, taking care of my health and my body, meditating, and focusing on and thinking about what I'm grateful for. I train myself to always look for the good, no matter what.

No matter what's going on, there's always good. I will find it and that will help amplify my life and remind myself how blessed I really am. Maybe it's doing some exercise and taking good care of my body. I think that can be an act of love. Start off the day happy. A lot of people start the day empty and try to fill themselves up. What if you started the day feeling full? Fill yourself up in the morning with your ritual so that you're overflowing with love, abundance, and happiness. When you do, it will have a contagious effect on everyone else around you.

In fact, I think that being happy every day is the greatest gift that you can give to other human beings on this planet. Create a ritual, or do whatever works for you. I don't know whatever that might be for you, but take the time to prioritize and value happiness more in your life. Pick up a happiness book and study. Place more emphasis and focus on it, because at the end of the day, that's really what you want deep down inside.

Hopefully, this video could be a good reminder for some of you to really value that more, make an emphasis on it. Don't just be one-dimensional in your life. I believe in life mastery and the foundation of that is your health, your mindset, and your emotions. You need to really master those areas of your life, because those are the ones that are going to affect everything else. Hopefully you enjoyed this video. If you did, give it a thumbs up. Leave a comment below.

I'd love to hear your experience of happiness and things that have worked for you. Subscribe for more videos, of course, and if you haven't already checked out my Morning Ritual Mastery course, I highly recommend that you do, because it's going to teach you how I create my empowering morning rituals, and how you can create one in your life. It is the best part of my day, and it's something that I've been doing it since I was 17 years old. I'd love for you to experience that, and check out that program at MorningRitualMastery.com.

That's it for today's video! Thanks for watching. I look forward to seeing you again in the next one. Take care.