Chickens Are Just Like Us

When I go out in the morning with a bucket full of grains to our winged companions, I scatter a long line of food so that every chicken can get its share. But as soon as the grains hit the ground, they are no longer of any interest to the chickens. In my bucket, there are still probably the best grains, and they certainly don’t want to miss out on those!

So, every day, 20 chickens follow me, even if the food is lying right in front of them on the ground, and I end up waving a completely empty bucket. They are afraid they might miss out on the best grains and that another chicken could get the richer food. And what about us humans? Do we peck at the nearby grains before us, or do we spend our lives chasing a seemingly empty bucket, hovering in front of us like a carrot before a donkey? How often do these thoughts cross your mind: “If I achieve this or that, then I will have made it. If I earn so much money, then I will be happy and content. If my partner changed in the way I want, then I could finally be happy. If I could afford the stylish clothes of that Instagram star, then I will have made it!”

The bigger fortune, the fancier car, a large property, and the fantastically colorful life of others – that’s all it would take for me to be happy. But is that really the case? How good are we at appreciating the happiness right in front of us, knowing with complete certainty that everything is exactly as it should be and that we are in the right place at this moment?

My brushstroke of life: Take a day to focus on the happiness that surrounds you.

Look at the people who support you on your journey, the kind lady at the checkout who gives you a smile, and the warm bed you get to fall into every evening.

Happiness is not always about the distant, unattainable goals. It’s about recognizing and valuing the little things right in front of us.