Yesterday evening I went to a friend's home after a long time. I have rarely visited friends in the last 2 years, so this is welcoming. My friend is just a family man like me, but the difference is since 2014, he has been between jobs. Currently, he is doing 2 jobs. A lecturer at the local university and an environmental scientist job at night/weekends. His wife is a high school math teacher. So between the two of them, they have 3 jobs. Trouble is none pays well. Teaching job doesn't pay anything any more, yet we want our teacher to teach our kids well! Such a strange world.
But that was not the thing I wanted to discuss. What I loved during our evening was how happy they were together with the three of them! The parents work hard all week, long hours. The little one goes to school and has to stay long hours there in the after-school program, as parents can't pick her up before 7pm. She starts her day (the kid) at 7 am as well when her dad drops her to preschool before going to work. That is a 12 hour day, 5 days a week, for an 8 year old! But I never heard her complain once. She was explaining to me how she enjoys going to school early and play certain things before most of the kids show up and other things after most of the kids are gone home! She also showed me how she helped build a wall decoration with her dad earlier in the weekend. Such is the joy of small things in life.
I see a lot of folks here running after money. While I don't judge, and there is nothing wrong with any honest approach. Think about what you are missing when you devote too much time into it. Did you visit your long-lost friend recently? Have you been to that old restaurant or tea shop you used to go 5 years back? Have you been to your old school or university lately? Have you visited your favorite teacher for no reason in particular recently? Have you spent any time talking to your parents lately? How about your siblings? Relatives?
You know these are the small things in life….they are bigger than you think.
Life does not always go as planned; certain circumstances place us in conflict situations and force us to confront reality, including the people dear to us. It's the willpower to fight, being optimistic, and having ambition that leads us to the ray of hope at the end of the darkest tunnel of life. To overcome all the obstacles, with strong determination, we also need the support of our loved ones. This week's featured author has proven just that. Despite undergoing several major surgeries, she is with us on hive, sharing her comeback as a warrior and preparing for the upcoming battles. Let's hope for the best and pray that she wins.
Author - 
We are also delighted to announce two honorable mentions of the week.
| Authors | Highlights |
|---|---|
 @mrnightmare89 | The Houses |
 @tezmel | Where Trust No Longer Blooms |
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The small things in life, the little details we don't pay much attention to, usually thinking to ourselves that these teeny-tiny moments don't or can't add up to something greater one day. Always looking at the "bigger picture", big moves, sizeable improvements in lifestyle, living life large. We want all the big stuff, and we want it fast. Sometimes a bit too fast for our ability and understanding to catch up. Hence, most of the time, we end up losing more than we've gained.
Quick advancement usually isn't a good thing, we tend to miss a lot of important factors because of the pace. Even though it all mostly depends on the person, their level of understanding and capability. Not everyone is a fast learner like a Border Collie, and not everyone has eagle's eye vision.
Yet, fast learner or not, I believe it's better to be safe than sorry. That is why we need to focus on the small things in life, the small steps, those little wins of ours.
I believe building up a proper foundation while focusing on the smaller details may help us in the long run. A strong foundation helps you stand strong and tall. Even in the toughest of times, it helps you stay true to your cause.
So, even if you do end up losing track, you can always go back to the basics and rely on the foundation that you've built. A proper foundation can only be built by taking small steps, while climbing at a moderately slow and steady pace, progressing ahead detail by detail. Resulting in a bigger achievement, somewhat of a compounding effect.
Let's take happiness for example. Most of us think, to really be happy in this world we require money, a lot of material and freedom. Even though these are a few legit sources of happiness, at the end of the day, happiness truly is a choice. You can't run after wealth, material, a lavish lifestyle all at once. And even if you succeed in doing so, you'll probably end up broke because of your hunger for the materialistic life. Constantly "upgrading" and buying things, most of which are probably unnecessary.
So, what if I told you that you can truly be happy just from having the smaller things in life?
I'll put in a few examples from my own life experiences. I remember two little kids from a few years back, they used to sit around near our local bus station. So, I would be seeing them daily almost, during my daily commute. Whenever they would see me, they'd simply run towards me expecting some kind of a treat. I would usually buy them candies or fruits from the vendors by the bus station whenever possible. And to be very honest, seeing these two little mischievous troublemakers smiling would be more than enough to make my day.
On the same commute as mine, there were a few rickshaw pullers who I knew quite well. Because they and I myself have been using this route for many years now. So, we've gotten to know each other quite well. Whenever I'd see them while traveling, it would either be me greeting them or them greeting me. A simple "hello" would be more than enough to put a smile on both of our faces. The fact that we remembered each other and have put in the effort to at least say hello, would make quite a huge difference to the rest of our day.
Then at home, lending a hand in the kitchen and helping my mother out, is something everyone in our home usually tries to engage in whenever possible. Yes, we mess up a lot of things most of the time, instead of helping out we make things even worse. Yet, it's the effort that counts, spending some time with the family, conversating a bit, sharing a meal, some harmless gossip maybe.
All these moments above, they're all small details, yes. However, when you add it all up, you get a whole day full of experiences. A day and a few moments that are surely worth remembering.
Taking small steps towards appreciating the small things in life, taking time to engage and create such moments will soon add up to something bigger. Maybe even building a habit of not taking such things for granted. Not always looking at the "big things", learning to live life at the moment, and being happy with what you already have.
Finding true contentment in what you have, what life has already offered you.
I think our life is driven by our past activities or what we do get from others. No matter how big or small those things are, more or less they do influence us.
What's the value of simple gratitude to you? No monetary value, but simple gratitude from someone may also look normal to us after we did something for that person. But the problem arises when we don't get or show that gratitude, this is a small thing that seems to make a huge dent. I know how it feels like, getting gratitude doesn't mean anything exceptional, but not having that makes us judgemental and it's justified to some extent.
*** "Call me, if you need any help."
"Yeah, sure." ***
You know what, I am not going to call him in that circumstances at that moment. By the time I would call him and he would be coming to help, I would be restless, worried about getting late. So in the meantime, I would be able to fulfill my need instead of calling him. But the feeling that he is there is kinda overwhelming, everyone will not make you feel the same with the same line. On our rough days, we hear this line the most, but it's not the same for everyone, and we don't get the same sense of assurance from everyone who says it. Only a few people can give us the pure sense of help that we seek as an assurance that someone is really there at my worst, I can call for him if things go awry. Those are the small acts that makes me feel special.
Four or five years ago, on social media, I came across a fundraising post. It was very touching, and I could feel the tears in my eyes, that were waiting to burst out, but as you all know, boys don't cry, but why? Even I did not know exactly. Every line of that status was tearing me apart, but I had nothing at that particular moment to contribute. All I found was just nearly 2 cents equivalent of local currency in my mobile banking account. Half the cent was the transaction fee and I sent the rest of the money. I knew this won't be going to help that person, he needs a huge amount of money, but that tiny contribution from my end gave me vast satisfaction, I did the best I was capable of, and that's enough to be satisfied.
There are several minor details that have a significant impact on our lives. When we go back to that and see how it shaped our lives, we feel awestruck. Day in day out, we are the total of all the little things that influence us, whether we are aware of it or not.
-- 
I don't have many friends, and I have a hard time communicating with others in general. So I prefer to be alone and isolated, yet I also enjoy mingling, socializing and conversing with others. I know it is contradictory.
In this short lifetime, I've encountered this insane person, I now call my bestie. She was the eccentric sort who had trouble communicating with others as well, but she never stopped trying.
She would walk and talk the way she wanted. She was well aware that no one accepted her for who she was, yet such remarks never bothered her. While she was a wild-eyed, fun-loving teenager, she lived life to the fullest.
She wasn't a rule follower, but she would try to win hearts, and her attempts were always evident, evident through her eyes.
She would always hit me on my back when she heard me sprout slang, her hands were so thin that surely my back would hurt for a long time for that. She only once told me to change my wordings but after that, she never told me again; she only hits.
She would always tell me, whenever we could eat together, not to keep any leftovers, to try my best to finish what I willingly took to finish but never did she give me lectures on it.
She would always tell me to keep all the garbage in her backpack, whenever we could roam together for hours on the streets while having snacks. There were occasions when I would carelessly throw candy packs on the streets, just to watch her go and pick them up to store them in her bag.
In this fast-paced world, we barely have time to talk in luxury. Who takes their time to show you direction? Everyone seems preoccupied with their own affairs or is there solely to lecture you and demonstrate their superior intellect. Now, when I'm with my other friends and use slang, I'm aware that I should adjust my language, and I do. When I eat alone, I am annoyed because I can no longer preserve leftovers since I can hear her reminding me to finish it all and I end up listening. Now, when I walk down the street and am ready to throw away the empty candy packet, I instead store it in my bag to throw it later in the bin when I reach home.
Even when she isn't with me, she is always with me. We may not chat or see each other very often, yet she lives within me, like a voice alerting me of her presence. Although the pace of life is considerably faster than it used to be, the actions we do, no matter how small, may create a greater impact. Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye, but our actions remain with us for the rest of our lives in the shape of memories.
-- Sam White
No matter how hard we try to deny it, we humans, are very extravagant beings. While we shroud ourselves with clouds of humbleness and simplicity, deep down, we all, to some extent, want the taste of some form of grand gestures and over-the-top things that brings joy.
None of us would ever deny the satisfaction we will.receive from a nice gaming set up, or a nice home, or maybe a car or a nice vacation. These are a part of human desires. We all crave it, in one form or another.
But today, I'm not here to talk about these grand endeavors we humans engage in.
Today, I'll try to talk about the small things. Or more importantly, the small things I like. The tiny little gestures and nanoscopic form of objects, which makes me happy, makes me want to keep on living, just for another day.
The first thing that comes to mind are books. I like the smell of them, both old and new alike. The scent of newly printed ink on a milky white paper makes me happy in ways I can't describe, just like the smell of old age and stories the old books have in their worn-out yellow pages.
I like words. Simple and straightforward. Written words, spoken words, any form of them. Maybe it's because I've spent a big chunk of my life in silence, not used to being spoken to or being understood. But even after that, I still like to listen when someone talks. Because their stories make me feel human, even though most people never want to hear mine in return.
I like the smell of rain and earth combined together, and it's a heady, musky smell that makes me feel I'm back in my childhood when I had access to open fields and clear blue skies that stretched towards infinity.
I like small little gestures. I like it when someone passes me a water bottle when they see I'm thirsty. How some people are only one call away from rushing towards me when I need them. I like how my sister always buys that one extra bar of chocolate whenever she gets one for herself. How my mother never eats without me, even when I'm late, or how she always fills my water bottle when I go out.
These are all small mindless things. But these ridiculous mindless things are my simple little solaces, which I hold close to my heart.
-- 
I was walking down the street, on an empty street. Less crowded than usual, the lampposts were shining brightly. It was night; the mist was slowly covering the surroundings, people were chatting in a tea stall. The night was turning dark, and I was lost walking and thinking. My mind was completely absent. All the faces I saw stood pretty much the same. I looked at an old face, and I tried to go back in time, and I wondered what it was like.
I walked alone without any direction; I was just following the light. In the middle of the night, I observed an elderly woman alone and shivering as she crossed the street, begging for money. A few minutes later, I discovered a second elderly man with a loaf of bread in his hand. He had taken a seat and was enjoying a meal. He was sitting and eating. I was walking and thinking; I had a thousand questions without answers. Walking into the darkness just following the light, I was utterly lost. I had nothing but a small knife. I just followed the mind of others, and I got nothing out of it. The shadows hurt me, I ran away, but they were behind me, like all the time. I was waiting for something, maybe a good ending, or small actions that would make me smile as I am sad now.
It was night, and I was sitting alone at the empty bus station, under a lamppost. Sitting alone reminded me of those beautiful days before. I was thrown deep into the endless storm, suddenly feeling a cold hand on my shoulder. I got scared, I didn't want to look back, but I had to. An old man sat next to me, while I was anxious and confused.
I was going to ask him; I have no money. Before I could say a word, he told me; I don't need any money. I was silent. Suddenly he said; boy, you look tired. He gave a genuine smile as soon as I looked at him, and the stranger started to look familiar to me, but I was still silent. He put his hands on my shoulder again and said; go home, boy. I felt like he was someone I knew, but it wasn't my concern at that time, the biggest matter was that he gave me a genuine smile.
I looked up at the sky and saw a small light shining far away; then I realized that hope was coming my way, and I realized that my life was just like a river; the waves were troublesome, and swimming was the solution that troubled me. I can't wait for the wave, I should overtake it.
Generally, we have a tendency to overlook crucial issues by just labeling them as minor or trivial matters. Putting it under an imaginary solemn observation microscope, you will be amazed to behold the seriousness behind it.
Our little actions make us the whole we. It defines the overall personality and attitude of an individual. Our lives will be negatively impacted if we don't pay attention to or give less value to the things we usually overlook.
Along with the so-called big matters, small ones coexists too. It is like both sides of the coin. You can't even ignore any one of them. We must not forget or try to brush aside them as we know now; it will certainly bring no good in the future.
When you engage in the modest acts of kindness and generosity that are called good deeds, such as sharing a smile, having a tiny chit-chat, or lending a hand to someone in need, you can begin to experience the joy that lies beneath them. If you think nobody is noticing, you have mistaken. Others certainly are!
It is a waste of time to think that you are smarter than others. It's a myth that only the most astute people are capable of spotting such minute details and putting them under close scrutiny. People who are considered "normal," on the other hand, don't have to work very hard to figure it out.
If you remember the last time you've interacted with a child who discovered something about you that you never noticed before; could be a tiny simple thing. It is amazing how quickly kids grasp the concept. I think it is their innocence that gives them the insight viewpoint. In some circumstances, children's perceptions are sharper than adults because their minds are still developing.
Therefore, my goal is to share with you the necessity of paying attention to the minor behavioral concerns that we tend to overlook. On the other hand, I feel the need to emphasize the necessity of; filtering out irrelevant information. If you don't, it'll throw your valuable efforts toward the problem into disarray.
It is logically impossible if we place equal value on everything. However, we can try our best to identify the most important of these. No matter the issue is small or gigantic, we have to put it under consideration for the greater good of ourselves and take action accordingly.
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-- 
The UEFA champions league is the premier club competition of Europe where the best clubs across the continent battle for one title; kings of Europe. Considering all the money that has been poured into the competition and TV revenue, the stature of the clubs, and the global fanbase, you can very well say that this is the most sought-after tournament of the season. But apart from the global stars who play here, what makes the champions league a standout tournament is its unpredictability.
Many times we've seen underdog clubs create fairytale-like stories here. The big stage is actually full of such stories. Such as Leicester City. We all know how they pulled off the miracle of winning the Premier League back in the 2015-16 season. The next season was their debut champions league campaign, where they reached the quarter-finals that season. Which is quite the feat for a small club from the midlands of England. Fast forward to this season; Sheriff Tiraspol. The club from Moldova made its debut champions league campaign this time around. What would you expect from a small-time debutant club in this big competition? Very less. But they pulled off one of the greatest upsets by beating Real Madrid by 2 goals to 1. Again a flashback; Ajax Amsterdam. The club has its heritage. But isn't clear at the top of the pile. But even so, they are firing under Eric Ten Hag. And 3 seasons ago they reached the semi-final with some proper football. Most players of that roster are now in different clubs. Such as Frenkie De Jong, Matthias De Ligt, Hakim Ziyech. Even though they're not there anymore , that story remains.
Over the years, the UEFA champions league has delivered us with matches and campaigns that'll live on through the years in the hearts of the crowd. Certain games like the 2005 champions league final, the 2012 champions league final, or the 1999 champions league final. Or the 2016 round of 16 between Barcelona and PSG. They may not create big impacts, but these games and certain campaigns from underdog teams are what make the champions league special. This is also a big reason why the European Super League got rejected. No matter how much money you make through that league, it will never deliver the same emotions and enthusiasm as the champions league.
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