"Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street."
This is rule 12 of the ‘12 Rules for Life’ by Jordan Peterson. Each of his rules has an obvious surface meaning, and then deeper layers as you think about them. So, "Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street".... Notice and enjoy the little enjoyable things happening all the time around you. From Peterson's book... "If you pay careful attention, even on a bad day, you may be fortunate enough to be confronted with small opportunities of just that sort. Maybe you will see a little girl dancing on the street because she is all dressed up in a ballet costume. Maybe you will have a particularly good cup of coffee in a café that cares about their customers. Maybe you can steal ten or twenty minutes to do some little ridiculous thing that distracts you or reminds you that you can laugh at the absurdity of existence."
Today, watch for 'cat in the street' opportunities. And maybe tomorrow too. Think about the deeper meaning underneath this seemingly simple idea, and its connection with other ideas like being in the moment.
If you are curious about the other rules, there’s a summary at https://blog.12min.com/12-rules-for-life-summary.
