We’ve all had the kind of days days when nothing seems to go right. We stub our toes, spill coffee on ourselves or someone else, get a flat tire on the way to an important meeting, accidentally hurt someone’s feelings, etc. It’s like a dark cloud is hovering overhead following us wherever we go.

If you are having one of those days, you have my condolences. I wouldn’t wish them on anyone.

Fortunately, eventually even the bad days and bad times end. Sometimes it only takes a slight change of attitude or point of view.

Despite all that can go wrong–and often at the same time!–we are also all blessed with many moments each day that are potential unexpected pleasures–though we may not be conscious of or appreciate them as they occur.

I have been working on doing a better job of noticing and taking time to savor unexpected pleasures as they show up in my life: The rich golden glow of a California poppy (in the winter!) when I took out the trash cans yesterday, the sound of a couple of Canada geese honking as they noisily flew by in an azure sky while I admired them through a window in my office, the swaying of trees dancing in an unusually heavy wind, the aroma of coffee or bacon in the morning, the sound of a friend’s voice at the other end of the line when I answer the phone, a card or letter in the mail, the smile of a stranger, the hug of a loved one, the enthusiastic greeting of my dog when I come home, watching squirrels play hide-and-seek, and the soothing sound splashing water.

So many unexpected pleasures happening all around all the time, to be experienced if only I will take the time to savor them. Much of what makes life worth living is found in such moments, and every one ignored is a wasted opportunity.

May we all savor an ever-increasing number of such unexpected pleasures every day of our lives.