We never know what is round the corner in life. We can think we do. We can have a plan.

A whole, shiny future, containing x, y and z that we feel completely sure that that’s how it’s all going to unfold. That house. That partner. That job. Those children who will make up our lives.

But life, being life, can throw a cosmic spanner into the works when we least expect it. Good cosmic spanners — a promotion, surprise pregnancy, a kismet-filled meeting with someone new, a welcome but unexpected pile of sparkly fairy dust blowing its way into our life. Bad cosmic spanners — people die, emigrate, betray, abandon.

Redundancies happen, jobs change. Houses break. Health crises happen, shit happens. A tornado of shite can unexpectedly blow through your life, laying waste to the most well-laid plans.

We can’t know when a cosmic spanner is about to hit. All we can do is know that we have the resources within us to handle it when it does. It may not feel like it, but we do. We can dig deeper than we ever thought possible when the tornado does hit landfall. We are more resilient than we know or may want to be. That strength is there and we can call on it if we have to. We can baton down the hatches and bail, bail, bail for our lives. If we are lucky our good friends will stand shoulder to shoulder with us and match our efforts bucket for bucket.

In the meantime, what should we do? We should absolutely not worry about cosmic spanners, good or bad. They will come regardless. And we need to trust we have the strength to overcome if and when they do. Instead, we should focus on the nuts and bolts of everyday life. The tiny stuff. I cannot help but feel that the happiest way forward is to lean hard into joy. Lean much, much harder into the moments of joy and comfort accessible in every ordinary day that passes.

Happiness is comprised of the small moments of joy linked together day to day. The moments that seem insignificant are actually more significant than the big win. The very fabric of our joy is woven from small everyday moments of fairy dust. The spontaneous and shared smile. The easy park. The light through the trees. The effortless fit of familiar hand in hand. We need to lean harder into these seemingly inconsequential moments of everyday joy. Relish every bit of pleasure. Notice it. Amplify it. Take less for granted. Lean hard. We cannot know what is round the corner, so let’s make today everything it can be. Let’s make the ordinary more special.

Louise Thompson is a life coach, author and corporate escapee. Read more Bite articles from Louise or visit louisethompson.com for more. Louise is a life coach, author and corporate escapee.

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