Finding Joy in the Little Things: Embrace the Little Drops of Happiness
- Kristin Keough Williams
- Sep 15
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 6
We live in a world focused on milestones. We chase big promotions, count down to exotic vacations, and meticulously plan perfect weddings. Society conditions us to believe that happiness is a destination. We think that once we reach it, everything will change. If we aren't living what we believe should be our best life, we may feel FOMO (fear of missing out) or become disenchanted.
But what about life in between? What about ordinary Tuesday afternoons, quiet mornings, or simple evening routines? Too often, we treat these moments as filler. They become the mundane landscape we must cross to reach the next "big thing."
We’re so busy waiting for significant moments that we forget to feel the gentle rain of daily joy. This is where we miss the point. True, lasting contentment isn’t found in occasional bursts; it's cultivated in the steady collection of what I call “Little Drops of Happiness.”
What Are "Little Drops of Happiness"?
A drop of happiness is a small, often overlooked moment of positive experience. It’s not earth-shattering. It’s simple, fleeting, and profoundly human. It's the little positives, flutters of joy, and mindful moments of calm.
Think about your little drops of happiness, such as:
The first sip of coffee or tea in the morning, when the warmth and aroma hit you just right.
The feeling of the sun on your skin for the first time on a cool day.
A favorite song that warms your heart or gives you a much-needed pick-me-up.
A text from a friend that makes you smile.
The satisfaction of crossing a task off your to-do list.
The comfort of your favorite chair after a long day.
The calm of nature, like birds flying smoothly in the sky or big puffy clouds drifting lazily above you.
Or my new favorite: watching hummingbirds land on my rainbow feeder.
These moments are the pixels that create the bigger picture of our lives. Yet, we rarely give them our full attention. We experience them, but we don't absorb them. Consider, what little moments have you bypassed too easily lately?
It’s Not Just a Feeling—It’s Brain Science
Noticing the good isn't just wishful thinking; it’s a powerful way to reshape your brain. Thanks to neuroplasticity, our brains change based on our experiences and focus. When you repeatedly direct your attention toward small, positive moments, you strengthen the neural pathways associated with noticing joy. It’s like creating a well-worn path in a forest—the more you walk it, the easier it becomes to follow.
Studies in Positive Psychology confirm this repeatedly. In one well-known exercise, participants who wrote down three good things that happened each day showed significant increases in happiness and decreases in depressive symptoms in just weeks. Each time you acknowledge a "drop of happiness," you give your brain a mini-workout. You retrain its default setting from scanning for threats to seeking out moments of contentment.
How to Start Collecting Your Drops
This isn't about adding another chore to your day. It’s about shifting your awareness to things you are already experiencing. Here’s how to begin:
Tune Into Your Senses: The easiest way to find your drops is through your senses. Right now, pause and notice one pleasant thing you can see, one calming thing you can hear, and one comfortable thing you can feel. That’s three drops right there.
Start a "Joy Journal": Before bed, take two minutes to jot down three small things that brought you happiness during the day. This simple act trains your brain to look for them.
Name the Drop: When you experience a pleasant moment, consciously label it: "That's a drop of happiness." This acknowledgment locks in the positive feeling, much like the famous "That was easy" button from Staples commercials. By mentally "pressing the button" on each good moment, you solidify its positive impact on your mood.
Share Your Drops: When a friend asks how your day was, don't just list the challenges. Mention a small joy. "Work was busy, but I saw the most beautiful sunset on my way home."
Listen to my YouTube meditation on Little Drops of Happiness: This meditation is designed to lift your spirits and help you connect better to your little drops of happiness. It fills you with a lasting sense of positivity. https://youtu.be/h-6V-ntPw6g
The Life-Changing Result
When you practice this, something incredible happens. You stop outsourcing your happiness to future events. You realize that your life, right now, is already filled with reasons to feel good. Your mood improves, your positivity increases, and your overall satisfaction with life grows. This happens not because your circumstances have changed, but because your focus has.
Your happiness isn't waiting for you in the future. It's falling all around you, right now, in a gentle, life-giving drizzle. Now lift your hands up and catch all the happiness raining down!
Positive Psychology Study Source: Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). "Positive Psychology Progress: Empirical Validation of Interventions."American Psychologist, 60(5), 410–421.*
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