The ability that can change your life
What so many books and movies are trying to tell us
This is how I see things:
The sun is out.
A streetcar rattles by.
Cars zip back and forth.
A man stands under the trees talking to his sister.
He sounds angry about something.
Maybe it feels like this scene is about something she did that made him angry.
But what if it’s about the fact that he has a sister?
That she is healthy and safe and in front of him? That she loves him, that he loves her, and that right now they are together and they are both okay?
I could write (and have been working on) a book about how to find happiness, but it really comes down to these few simple things:
love,
gratitude,
kindness
and following your heart.
Another really important ingredient is the ability to know what is most precious to you and to know it in time to appreciate it while you have it.
I sometimes get something I call pre-nostalgia; it’s when I’m in a moment that is so precious and I know that it is precious while it’s happening. So while I’m in the moment that I will one day want to revisit over and over again, I get to truly feel how fortunate I am to be experiencing it.
I can tell you now that those precious moments are always the moments that I’m sharing with people I love.
I had a thought that every movie and story and book that we know is saying this one message—they’re all love stories saying that the best thing in life is love, our loved ones, loving and being loved.
And once in a while I feel this strong urge to share with others this ability to know what is truly precious to you and to live your life aligned with what is precious to you, following your heart and being your happiest self. (That doesn’t mean it’s easy. Sometimes it’s the easiest thing to do what’s in your heart, and sometimes it’s not.)
If we can find that ability, we live life more fully, more deeply and more happily.
And, truly, our loved ones are so precious, more than anything else we will ever find or experience on this Earth.
© Marisa Baratta
From the Heart features short, uplifting reflections about love, life and being kind.
Like a good book, a cozy blanket, or a warm hug, it's meant to inspire you and uplift you so that you can be your best self.
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