make life Small moments

I don’t see my extended family much. We typically only get together when someone is either in the hospital or getting married, and weddings are a lot more fun than hospital rooms. My cousin Ashley got married last October, so I traveled back to Michigan and was able to see everyone again.

I have trouble relating to most of my extended family, but I really love the conversations I have with my uncle. He sat with me for a while after the ceremony. He asked if my dad teaches us to remember the moments and told me he teaches his kids to always pay attention to the “small hours.” He had just walked his daughter down the aisle- a big moment; and had tears in his eyes as he talked about all the little moments that he cherished the most with her. Their “small hours.” The next day I thanked my uncle for our “small hour”, and I am very grateful that I have always been in touch with these moments in life. Maybe I got this from him.

When I think back on my time with my wellness practice, it’s full of “small hours.” I remember staying at the office until midnight printing binders for my first group orientation. There were papers everywhere and I felt like the binder making process would never end. I was equally excited and stressed. Then once I had a team, this became one of those “remember that time we had to trek three miles in the snow” type of story.

I remember the first time we collected 27K in one day by selling five programs. And I remember our first 100K month and our first 100K week. The most precious moments are the “small hours” that don’t mean anything to anyone else.

John Bundy, one of our practice members, wrote us a testimonial about being able to put on his wedding band after losing 60 pounds. I remember crying reading his letter.

I had a team member, Erika, and one of my proudest moments was watching her teach her first orientation class. Then later that year I helped her shop for her wedding dress.

On a plane ride down to San Antonio for a Quarterly, my business partner and I looked at each other and said, “this is bliss.” We spent the entire plane ride talking about how blessed we were and how amazing our team was. If someone was listening to us, they would have thought we were crazy.

These are the moments.

As we go into a new year, choose to pay attention to these moments. Freedom comes from being present. Presence gives you the “small hours.”

Henry David Thoreau said, “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” Find beauty in the “small hours” and realize how blessed you are to live this life. The path you have chosen is perfectly beautiful and perfectly yours. I am grateful that our paths have crossed and am looking forward to the “small hours” ahead.

By: Nicole Martin