Aug01

Hissy Fit - August 2024 - You Might Be Missing Out: If You Sweat the Small Stuff

...because everyone needs one every once in awhile

HissyFit1122

August 2024 Issue
by Elizabeth Skenes Millen

You’ve heard it a million times: Don’t sweat the small stuff.
That’s very easy to say, but sometimes the small stuff feels like big stuff. The key is to try to keep things in perspective.
A traffic jam is small stuff. A traffic jam when you need to badly go tinkle and are at a standstill with no exit in sight is a bit
more dire. A traffic jam when it snows, and you’re stuck in your car on the freeway for more than 24 hours and your children are at daycare, and you are a single mom with no relatives in town is no longer small stuff—enter some well-deserved sweat.
See how perspective changes everything?

Take concerts for instance. I not only enjoy the music, I also am intrigued by people watching. One time, as the main act, the headliner, the best band of the night started winding down their playlist, droves of people began to leave. This is when it dawned on me what people are willing to miss. They were leaving in order to avoid the brief traffic backup to get out of the parking lot—the small stuff. And here’s what they missed to get home 15 minutes sooner: The absolute best song of the night! It’s ALWAYS the encore. Haven’t they ever heard “save the best for last?” It’s the reason everyone goes to the concert. And. They. Just. Left.

This nudged my brain to think about other things we miss out on because we are sweating the small stuff.

ThE list is quite tragic:
You might be missing out if…you don’t go to the beach because you despise sand. First of all, no one really likes sand all over them—just sayin’. However, the beauty, peace and wonder of the ocean far outweighs avoiding sand. Did you know it comes off easily with a little running water, which is usually located right where you exit the beach? How convenient is that for all you sand haters? Please don’t allow your irritation to rob you of soaking up the salt air and all of its bountiful benefits. The beach has great healing and calming powers. It relieves stress, offers a healthy dose of vitamin D, exfoliates skin (thanks to the sand), provides exercise, and induces a great night’s sleep. Now isn’t all that worth getting a little sandy?

You might be missing out if…you don’t dance when asked. OK. He may not be the cutest man in the room, but he is the one asking. Don’t say no. Dancing does not constitute a date, or anything close to it. You don’t ever have to talk to the guy again. Just get up and dance! And, by the way, what are you doing waiting to be asked anyway? Get out on that dance floor, let the music flow through you and dance, dance, dance. Don’t sit at the table while all your friends are on the dance floor. You were not born to be the guardian of purses. If you’re afraid people will talk—and I say let them—give them something to talk about. Not something pathetic like, “She just sat at the table all night and watched our purses!”

You might be missing out if…you are more concerned about who you are texting instead of who you are with. Girl, put your phone down and live. If the person you’re texting didn’t come out with you, that’s their loss. Put your phone down. All the way down. Now, put it in your purse. Look around. See the friends surrounding you? Talk to them. (Please tell me I don’t need to explain why.)

You might be missing out if…you don’t find something to be grateful for every day. This one is easy and life changing. It takes less than five minutes to consciously be grateful for five things, which will automatically shift your satisfaction level to new heights. Being grateful for people, places, things, situations, outcomes and un-noticeables is like ingesting rays of sunshine and rainbows. It opens your eyes to a whole new world. Be thankful every day for something or for everything. You’ll be amazed how satiated you will become.

You might be missing out if…you don’t stop and smell the roses. I try to literally stop and smell roses because their smell is heavenly. However, this old cliché applies to much more than flowers. For instance, I remember one night when I totally missed out by not taking the opportunity when it arose. My daughter, who was 22 at the time, called me into her room around 11:30 p.m. and asked me to snuggle with her. I said I would, but I needed to go change the laundry, or something like that, first. Whatever I went and did, which I truly cannot remember now, got me sidetracked, and I never made my way back to her room that night. I robbed myself of a precious rare moment. I hope you won’t.

You might be missing out if…you don’t give people the time of day. I have gathered more stories for this magazine by merely saying hello to strangers. You just never know who is surrounding you and what joy, knowledge, connection or interest they can offer. Some people think snubbing others makes them better. I have found engaging others makes me better and my world bigger. If you’re still snubbing—for whatever reason you have manufactured in your head—you are truly missing out and only hurting yourself. Talk to someone new. You’ll be amazed at what you might learn.

You might be missing out if…you don’t buy the shoes. Short and sweet…just buy them. They will take you places you’ve never been, and that, my dear friend, is the path to adventure.

Finally, you might be missing out if…you don’t live with all your heart. I ask this question all the time and I mean it: “What do you want to do with your ONE wild and precious life?” Even if you don’t know what it is just yet, wake up and live every day from your heart any way. Chances are, before long, you will figure out your life’s calling(s), and in the meantime, you will be in love with your life. Now, that’s something you just can’t miss.