LIFESTYLE NEWS - While it might be a lot easier for all of us to get sucked into finding and pointing out the negatives of the situation we find ourselves in, I would like to urge everyone to instead take a step back and revel in the beautiful small things we don't normally take note of.

But first, a disclaimer: this isn't going to be a rant about how everybody should be appreciative of what they have because somewhere, someone has it far worse off than you do, no. 

Everybody is entitled to feeling bummed out about their own situation, because it's your personal battle, these are the challenges that you are facing. 

If you spend your entire life constantly neglecting your own problems, issues, and challenges because people keep telling you that you're not allowed to feel upset, you're never going to get a chance to move past these problems to be able to see the beauty that lies behind the curtain.

I'm not saying ignorance is bliss either, that you shouldn't pay mind to other people, because that's important too. Instead, you should preferably aim to be somewhere in the middle, right on the edge between the two sides of the coin. Tilt too much either way, and you could find yourself straying far off the path. Bear in mind, I am in no way saying I'm perfect. I often stray, but that's part of being human. At the end of the day, I know what I'm aiming for, and sometimes that's the best we can do.

The sooner we can do the above, the sooner we can move on to the next part; accepting what we find ourselves in at the moment. There's no point in fighting the current moment. Face it, we're in lockdown. Case in point: the more you sit at home and treat lockdown as the "Grinch that stole your freedom", the worse lockdown is going to be for you. By accepting it for what it is – a much-needed precautionary measure – you will find yourself open to maybe, just maybe, taking some positives out of this situation.

Which brings me to the little things. There's a lot of positives for us if we're open to them. In my case, for one, I live in Paradise, and for the first time in the six months that I've lived in the area, I can sit in my kitchen and hear the waves crashing into the Knysna Heads. With no traffic and hustle and bustle to drown it out, the beautiful sounds of nature as the waves break carry further than it normally would.

Granted, not everyone will be able to hear the ocean from their kitchen, but there are still lots of other things to look out for.

The lockdown could just teach you new skills, such as cooking or sewing. Instead of complaining that your family are at each other's throats, see it as a way to appreciate time together.

Through some introspection which this period affords us to do, you might just learn some new things about yourself. And this is also a time you might rekindle old friendships you didn't previously have the chance to, or you might just find new ways to express yourself… The point is, the little things are everywhere, all around you. You just have to be open to them.

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