Simple pleasures. We all need them. You know how it feels when you indulge: Delight! Wonder! Content! Serene! Comforted! Secure! Relaxing! Joyful! Your meter reading says “FULL.”
It feels so good to practice a little self-care and yet I will let days go by, sometimes weeks, without indulging in a simple pleasure that fills me back up and lets me know everything is okay, and in fact, PERFECT right at this very moment.
Need a hint? Light a candle. Listen to music. Catch a fish! Decorate a cake! Arrange some beautiful flowers. Take a walk. Feed a duck. Paint. Sing. Skip. Ride the grocery cart! Sit by the water. Put your toes in some sand. Climb a hill. Race your dog down the street. Make a child laugh. Laugh with them. Try a new recipe. Smile at a stranger. Take the long way home.
The world is a scavenger hunt! Hidden everywhere are the little treasures that make our lives full. Get your bucket out, dust it off if necessary and collect as many experiences as you can hold. Race ya!
Yes indeed! And even if we’ve reminded ourselves many times to slow down and enjoy the simple things, another reminder is always helpful. 🙂
I think I’ll go play with my daughter’s puppy now…
Thanks for checking out my blog!! I believe we often know what we need, but I find reminders are constantly necessary to keep me on track or get me back on track when life has taken me away.
Playing with animals (or just observing them) is such a wonderful simple thing available to most of us and it gets us in touch with our heart and our playful side. I love that comment!! Thank you and have a great day!
Self-Care is amazing and yet so very difficult. Most of us do not realize that we need it although it’s never too late! My realization came last weekend during a class session of my yoga teacher training. Daily Morning Positivities are now: 1) 10 minutes Meditation 2) 15 minutes Yoga practice 3) Get outside and do something! Transformation is not easy, but nothing worth having is easy. Take care of yourself–mind, body and soul. Namaste my friend!
Fantastic blog, Angela! Looking forward to following!
Beautiful April! Rituals are key for me, otherwise I float through the day “hoping” to meet my intentions. Thank you for the reminder that nothing worth having is easy (microwave thinking..want it now), but it IS WORTH IT!! Thank you for checking out my blog and I look forward to reading your future comments! Namaste to you too sweet friend! Please leave a comment after you’ve subscribed and gotten your free gift. I hope you enjoy!
Looking forward to learning and growing right alongside you, Angela! I love your optimism and glass half full perspective in life. Your pictures always bring smiles to my face.
Aw, Thank you Cindy!! Much appreciated! YES! I want fellow travelers right beside me. Let’s go!
I tend to forget about me and don’t realize that I used to be so much into feeling good about me. I even threw away all my old hobbies. Mostly because husband thought it was “his turn”. Sold my saxophone, not in bands anymore, don’t decorate cakes as much, stopped scrapbooking, even got fat because I stopped caring enough to exercise. Glad you said what you said. I am sure he likes me more when I am doing things for me. I need to find me again.
Jeanie, I feel the loss behind your comment and my heart goes out to you!! I couldn’t relate more. Why do we do this?!
I find that I learn a lesson such as this, get in a good groove, and then somehow I can slip back into old patterns before I even realize it. This issue where we lose ourselves usually in some sacrificial way for others always backfires because as you said, we like ourselves better and they like us better when we’re being who we really are and doing the things we love to do that nurture us and make us happier people.
Thankfully, something will eventually bring my awareness back to what I already know to be true and then slowly I can start taking baby steps back to “me.”
Thank you so much for being vulnerable and sharing. I’m so glad to have connected with you here and I’d love to see your comments again. I’ll be watching for an update from you!
Angela