Embracing the (not so) Ordinary

Ever notice how rarely people (myself included!) write LinkedIn posts celebrating simply 'showing up'? In our achievement-focused world, being average can feel like failing some cosmic test. But what if ordinary is exactly where the magic happens?

Moments of Connection

Photo: Alexi Zaitcev

A few weeks ago, I was deep into work mode, obsessing over perfect phrasing for our latest programming feature, when my daughter called. She’d just befriended the sweetest ginger cat on her walk home. My instinct was to quickly say I'd call her back later, but something made me pause. Instead, I closed my laptop and listened as she described how this ordinary cat patiently waited with her at every crossing, its tail swishing in the evening breeze.

It was in this ordinary exchange that I realised something simple yet profound: extraordinary moments aren't hidden behind big achievements; they happen quietly, in everyday moments of genuine connection. The next day, with a refreshed perspective, I finalised the pieces of my work that truly mattered and let go of my perfectionist grip on the rest. And, not surprisingly, the feature turned out wonderfully anyway.

Everyday Magic

This experience led me to explore what science tells us about happiness, and I discovered I wasn't alone in this realization. I recently came across something fascinating from Yale's Dr Laurie Santos, who studies happiness. She found that many things we believe will make us happy - achievement, recognition, wealth - actually have very little impact on our sustained well-being.

Think about the everyday people who quietly hold our worlds together. There's the postman who always has a smile no matter the weather; then the barista who starts making your usual order as soon as you step in; and don't forget the friend who sends a quiet "You okay?" text when you've been silent too long. Their magic isn't in grand gestures but in their steady presence.

Photo: Brooke Cagle, Unsplash

The Art of Noticing

There’s something quietly wonderful about folding laundry, truly listening to a friend, or just being the person your dog greets with excitement every evening. A study from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Centre even points out that these everyday actions significantly strengthen our communities. Maybe we've overlooked the magic in ordinary moments simply because we've been too busy chasing the extraordinary.

If we slow down enough to genuinely notice, even routine tasks become moments of discovery. Jasmine drifting through an open window on a spring evening, afternoon sunlight creating tiny rainbows in a glass of water - life is bursting with details waiting for our attention.

Redefining Success

Perhaps true success isn't about how high we climb but about how deeply we appreciate the journey - ordinary moments, mismatched socks and all. I say this while still occasionally fighting the urge to rewrite every sentence ten times. Old habits die hard.

Researcher Brené Brown found that, at the end of life, people rarely regret not achieving more; they regret not connecting more deeply with the ones they love. The extraordinary isn't always found in far-flung adventures or remarkable achievements. It’s woven quietly into the fabric of our daily lives, revealing itself to those curious enough to pause and look twice.

Just showing up consistently, attentively and wholeheartedly might just be the greatest achievement of all.