How to witness the mini-miracles happening all around you.

There’s this idea in some of the Eastern philosophies that the wonders of the universe can be witnessed in the simplest of things if we are just present enough to see them. I’ve always wondered about this.

Then over the last few years I’ve actually decided to give it a try and the flywheel has been in full effect ever since.

1. First off, the most important prerequisite to this all is to have presence of mind. If you’re spending time with your kid but you’re mentally writing that next email or thinking about the chores that need to be done, then we’re at an impasse already.

2. Second, it takes practice and time so be patient and receptive.

3. Lastly, what does it look like when applied? Well the next time your kid looks up at you and your eyes meet, a smile grows on their face, and there’s a pause in time…take that moment to realize that not only through the miracle of biology did you bring that human into the world but more importantly, in that moment, you are their world. They depend on you for safety, how to view the world, how to treat others, encourage them to push their limits, and so much more. Depending on your kids age, and the nature of your relationship, this may never be conveyed to us in words. It doesn’t matter though because it’s in these moments where we can witness the mini-miracles of Dadhood.

Now that’s a more obvious example of catching something magical.

What about the less obvious ones?

How about more simple things like the feeling of the sun waking you up as you take your first step out into the day? How about the five minutes of quiet time you have to crack open a book and have a conversation with an author? How about the way the rain drops fall glide off the waxy layer of the leaves in a storm? Or the way a Heron can float six inches above the water of the lake with but a few flaps of its wings ever so often?

I can’t list them all and they’ll be different for everyone but the more you start to catch them, the more they’ll reveal themselves.

For me it might be the birds singing in the morning, my kids making each other laugh in the back of the car (when they’re not torturing each other), a little smirk from my Wife reminding me that we are living the dream…

If we only wait to be grateful and fulfilled in the big moments, we’re missing out on so much of what makes the mundane so extraordinary.

I’d love to hear what you consider some of those subtle but still spectacular mini-miracles that you manage to catch in your life!

Thanks as always for taking time to read Daily Navigations - hope this give you a nudge in the right direction!