Living the Good Life by Appreciating the Small Things

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Allstate. All opinions are 100% mine.

Before 2013 began I made a list of ten things that I wanted to focus on this year. One of those then things was taking time to appreciate the good things in life.

Certainly there has been plenty of fear, doubt and ugliness in the news during the past year, but I do not want to allow these things to consume my life by dictating my mood, my happiness and my ability to be a light to others around me. This is why I really wanted to make a commitment to take the time to breath in the simple moments of splendor that are set before me every day. Of those ten items on my list, this goal has not only been the easiest, but also the most pleasant. It's amazing what a change of perspective can do.

I've always found the spring season to be the easiest time of year to appreciate the small beauties in life. Bright colored flowers, warm sun on my skin, cool afternoon rain…there is just so much to wonder at as winter wears off and the new buds of spring poke through all around us. One of my favorite simple spring activates this year has been sitting on my porch just watching the birds, squirrels and the bunny rabbits bring life back to my community. It might sound corny, but it's a pretty amazing event to watch if you take the time to appreciate the intricacies of it. It doesn't matter what is going on in the world at the moment, the good, the positive, the beautiful, the amazing, the wonders…they are all still there if you take the time to realize it. I'm so grateful for that.

Allstate recently kicked off a “Good Hands for the Good Life” campaign and I think it's pretty awesome. It really embodies taking time to notice the good despite of the bad. Check out this inspirational video:

Risks are everywhere, but we as people don’t let it hold us back from making our lives good. Allstate is making a promise to use their good hands to do more good in the everyday lives of the people they help protect. They even have an Allstate Good Life website that is full of helpful tools, tips and perks for those of us embracing the good life.

What are some of the little things you've been appreciating lately? Please take a moment to share in the comments section. I'd love for us to uplift one another by pointing out the beauties in life that should not be missed!