Stop and Smell the Roses!

My search for my nothing box hit a bit of a wall this week.  It's been the kind of week when you think the toilet is going to overflow, and, at the very last second just as you're about to race for the plunger, you hear a glorious "woosh" and the water level goes back to normal.  Yep, this week instead of finding peace and tranquility, I've just been running around looking for a plunger.  Then something happened a few days ago that literally made me slow down, take a breath, and smile. 

I was at work frantically reviewing a VERY LONG document to prepare for a phone conference with a client when my receptionist buzzed me to say that one of my other clients had shown up unannounced to drop something off.  It was just a few minutes until my call.  Seriously, she's stopping by now?  Unannounced? The nerve!  I stood up and was this close to calling up to the front to have them tell her just to leave it and I would call her later, but something stopped me.  I don't know why, but I trudged up to the lobby to see what she needed to give me.  What did I find?  I found my client and her 5 beautiful children waiting eagerly and smiling ear-to-ear as they each gave me a present to tell me how much they appreciated me.  They showered me with hugs, a smiley face balloon, flowers, a gift certificate for a massage, and a sweet card signed by each of them (including the 3-year-old).  My heart soared!

As they left and I headed back to my office with my arms full of their good cheer, I couldn't have felt lower and happier all at the same time.  I felt like a complete and total schmuck.  It was a horrible realization that I almost missed out on happiness, because I was too caught up in the moment.  It was a clear sign that I just needed to breathe.  Stop and smell the roses.  The few minutes it took me to walk up to our lobby and receive all of their love has propelled me through the rest of my week.  What if I hadn't gone up there? 

Here's my vow:  I'm going to stop looking for the plunger and start stopping to smell the roses more often.  The little spring in your step that you get from stopping to appreciate something or receive an unexpected guest can actually give you much-needed energy to hop right over the muck without worrying about it getting on your shoes.