Many times I’ve come across encouraging quotes and sayings. Thoughts are always racing through my brain, words and phrases always catching my eye, but developing a credo sounded like something so far out of reach for me. It was a lot easier than I thought. 

I always look back on a paramount experience that I went through at a young age that has taught me lessons that can’t be learned from textbooks. Life should never be taken for granted because in the blink of an eye one can lose someone. Coming so close to losing my dad was a feeling I’ll never fail to remember; our whole family life turned upside down in a matter of seconds. Ten days on life support and months of recovery felt like an eternity. Entering a cold hospital room with every intention to say goodbye to my dad as I stood looking down at him in his hospital bed, I had so much I wanted to say, yet the only thing that I could mutter was, “I love you.” 

I looked up and a tear rolled down his face. The next day his eyes opened and the life that felt like a nightmare hours before became the greatest day of my life. Who knew that those three words could be so important? 

I finally understand the significance behind these statements:

I’ve come to the realization that the big things in life may not always be the big things. And many times we find happiness in the small moments. It’s not always easy looking at it from this point of view, but the best thing to do is try. It’s the little things that matter. The view from the top might feel like the best moment, but the little things that got me there are always what matter to me. Here’s my Credo:

Put your family first.

Get plenty of sleep.

Laugh often.

Enjoy your perfect cup of coffee.

Smile at other people to make them happy.

Watch the sunrise and sunset.

Do the things you love.

Take care of yourself. Taking some time out from a stressful day to practice some self-care is beneficial in the long run for your overall health and wellness. When you feel good about yourself, you transmit that to others.

It’s OK to break the rules sometimes. Even though it’s important to eat healthy food, it’s OK to have an occasional bowl of ice cream for breakfast.

Never forget to say “I love you.” We never know when might be the last time we see or speak to someone.  

Think how amazing we might feel when we allow ourselves to enjoy the small moments, like eating dessert for breakfast or laughing until our stomachs aches. We can assume that the accomplishment of certain goals like wealth, fame or power will add substantial amounts of happiness to our lives, but it’s the little things that matter in life that are insurmountable. The beauty of life lies in the little things.