Sweating the Small Stuff

They say to be grateful, you should focus on what you have rather than what you don’t have, and to focus on the little things. I do that, or at least I try to. Each day, I try to pause and appreciate the little things that bring me joy, like an unexpected hug from one of my boys (rare), a perfectly ripened piece of fruit (yum!), the feeling of sunlight on my face (but only when it’s warm, not hot or humid, because I’m high maintenance like that), opening an expectedly-full dishwasher and finding it empty (also a rarity), and seeing vacuum lines in the carpet (fleeting and odd, I know, but it gives me a sense of order and cleanliness).

So while I am thankful for the little things that brighten each day, if I’m being totally honest, it’s also the little things that stress me out (usually disproportionately) on the regular.

I’m not an expert, but I think the fact that I have yet to master the art of not sweating the small stuff is because I’m both judgemental and a recovering perfectionist (and because I have yet to actually read the book of the same title). That combination results in having a few pet peeves. My husband would argue that it’s more than a few, and he’s not wrong, but … Umm, RUDE!

Here are a few of my pet peeves, in no particular order:

• when people clap when the plane lands
• when people talk about themselves in the third person
• when people address their father/mother/spouse/child on social media even though that person isn’t on social media and will never see the post
• when people hog the sidewalk
• when people drive (cars and shopping carts) slowly
• when people crowd my personal space
• when people chew/drink/breathe loudly
• when someone scrapes their plate or teeth with a utensil
• finding nail clippings on the counter or floor
• finding hair left on shower soap
• when things aren’t returned to their proper places (like the “kitchen scissors”)
• when a job is half-assed (like not replacing the trash can liner when taking out the garbage)
• being ignored
• being told I’m too sensitive or dramatic
• being told to calm down

Some of these really only get under my skin when I’m already irritated (or tired, hungry, thirsty, stressed, frustrated, overworked, frazzled, etc.), but those last three … Just don’t.

What are the little things that set you off? What are your pet peeves? I want to know — mainly so I feel slightly less judgemental 🙂

-LJDT