If you’re going to stop and smell a flower, make it a gardenia. Why? Because of all the flowers out there, it’s one of the most fragrant. My point is – there are many things in life that are truly worth your time, if you just stop and actually do them. Here are a few, courtesy of the researchers at Real Simple magazine.

• Calling someone’s supervisor to praise them for a job well done. Trish Poskevich is managing director of quality and customer relations for FedEx Office. She says that sharing a good experience is as important as sharing a bad one – but unfortunately, people rarely do it. So, if the scooper at your favorite ice cream shop made your day – say so! Either track down an on-site manager, call the store, or send an email through their website. Your kind words could earn the person anything from a pat on the back to a raise, and even a promotion.  
• Take time to train for - and run - a race for charity. Ann Karine is a coach for Fred’s Team, a running group in New York that raises money for cancer research. She says knowing that you’re doing something good is a huge force, especially during tough times. You realize that compared to what the people you’re helping have to go through, running isn’t such a big deal. When the big day arrives, and you see the faces of those people – it’s an emotional high you’ll never forget.  
• One last thing you should take time to do: Walk at a toddler’s pace. Dean Bakopoulos is a professor at Iowa State University. He says that although he’s a fast walker, he takes one day each week to walk slowly and without purpose. It’s a habit he picked up from his 2-year-old daughter. He says toddlers stop to look at everything – rocks, bugs, bottle caps. The summer he started walking at his daughter’s pace, Bakopoulos burned fewer calories – but he knew half the town: The hardware store staff, the police officers, and the artists drinking coffee outside their studios. He says you’ll be amazed what you learn if you wander at a carefree pace. Pretend you don’t know the meaning of words like “inbox” or “deadline.”