Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

Last week my husband and I got in to an argument over cereal. YES! CEREAL! I’d asked him to stop by the store on his way home to pick up a few things and he came home with a ton of stuff, including three boxes of cereal. I don’t know what it was about seeing them in the pantry but I was so annoyed. Why did we need three boxes of cereal? I mean, there’s a Publix or Super Target practically on every corner. We can go and get another box anytime we want. Why did he have to buy three? I was pressed. I knew I was in the wrong for saying anything to him about it but I wouldn’t back down. We agreed to disagree on the number of boxes of cereal we need in the house at any given time. It was a ridiculous argument and in the back of my mind I could hear my mom saying, “Don’t sweat the small stuff, Faith.”

Life, on its own, is stressful enough and I’m told that the way to be truly happy and peace filled is to not sweat the small stuff. For someone like me that’s easier said than done. I’m always giving myself little challenges and this one has shot to the top of the list because believe you me, I will not have another argument about cereal.  

Here’s my game plan:

·         I have to start accepting what is. The small things that get under my skin will always be there and fighting to change everything will guarantee my spot in the loser seat every single time.

·         I’m going to cut out the negativity in my life by just minding my own business and not getting wrapped up in other people’s crazy.

·         I’m going to stop being so concerned with what makes sense. It’s a card I pull all the time. If something doesn’t make sense to me I don’t buy in to it. Truth is everything doesn’t have to make sense to me. Instead of asking my husband why he bought three boxes of cereal I just should have thanked him for running by the store on his way home from work. The world didn’t end because he bought three boxes of cereal.

·         When in doubt I’m going to ask myself, “Will this matter?” In an hour, in a day or in a year? If the answer is no, it’s not worth getting worked up over.

Dear friends, this is going to be an  uphill battle for me. Prayers are solicited.