My wife told me once that she ate an entire cake in a day. It was one of those yellow cakes with two or three layers, chocolate frosting inside and out and meant to serve twelve. When I finally stopped thinking of how high her blood sugar must have spiked and how sick she must've felt the next day, my body did that 'shiver in disgust' motion. (Note: men should never respond like that in front of their wives/ girlfriends without expecting some sort of reprisal).

I'll admit. I've got my own Achilles heel - cookies! There's a certain danger that lurks in our house when we decide to bake 3 - 4 dozen at a time. After a few repeated episodes of 'sampling' (which my kids blatantly define as "binging"), I've learned to shift gears and go for something smaller - cupcakes!

Well past a growing trend, the cupcake has become its own industry and from New York to Hollywood, people are wolfing them down, one at a time. I know I won't completely give up the sweet stuff, but I've come to manage my appetite (real and perceived) by going with something more petite. Cupcakes are just as much fun to frost and decorate as a cake can be and they're easier to share (equally at least) with friends and family than cookies. In fact, one cupcake can last me an entire day!

In life, it's the small things that matter the most. As human beings, we can (and should) find the greatest pleasure in the smallest of things around us. Using any and all of our five senses, we're able to study and capture the beauty of our world and magically fill our lives with pleasure and joy.

Think of some of the "little things" you experience every day. If you find this to be a little tough, try to remember that feeling of amazement you felt when you saw or heard something special. Have you ever held a sleeping baby in your arms and watched her breathe in and out or counted her little fingers and toes? Have you ever sat on the beach and listened to the waves crash against the shore over and over again? How about the first sip of cold water as it traveled down your parched throat on a hot summer's day? All of these experiences are small in the grand scheme of things, but they are a constant reminder of how lucky we are to be a part of this world.

Let's go to back to my cupcake for a second. No two cupcakes we make are alike. My wife and I will fill the center of some and leave others plain. Frosting options range from the standard (vanilla and chocolate) to the exotic (cream cheese and peppermint) and we use all shapes, colors and sizes of sprinkles. It's these intricate details, and the surprise of which one we get, that holds a certain charm and delight, but only when we take the time to notice them.
Take the time to fully appreciate the details in your life. So many of us focus our energies working towards the BIG goals (e.g. degrees, money, houses, cars, etc.) that we neglect the simple pleasures we already have. Worse yet, we don't savor the accomplishment long enough when we do get it before steadily moving on to the next BIG thing.

In today's global society, we receive over a million messages every day. Focusing on the small things that bring us joy can positively impact our outlook on the big things down the line.

Finding happiness in the small, day to day moments in life empowers us to take on the challenges that we may initially lack the confidence to do. It is this small step towards embracing the beauty within us and around us that gives us the strength to take the next step.

Robert Brault said it best. "Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize, they were the big things."