14 Wild & Wonderful Things that are Bringing Joy to My Soul:
At this moment I’m inspired to jot down a little list of things that have been bringing joy to my soul recently. I want to train my mind to always be seeking out the little things in life that are good, pure, wonderful, and happy and take note of them! I want to be consciously present and aware of the simple blessings of life. I think reflecting and enjoying what you already have is an avenue towards contentment, and this is a skill I am working towards. What have you been enjoying recently? I want to hear and be inspired!
There’s no better time than right now to cultivate the skill of contentment. I once heard a man, when asked how he quit smoking say, “I was in the middle of a difficult divorce. I figured if I could manage to quit smoking then, I could do anything!”. If we can learn to be content now, when things are going wrong, we can do anything later! In some ways, it might be easier right now because many things we might wish for are just not an option, so we can’t wistfully ruminate on it. A simple way to start is to go through your day looking for the things you love about your life, and taking note of them. This trains your mind to be in the habit of looking for the good that already exists in your life! Create a list of the things that are bringing joy to your soul!
Gardening and cultivating our outdoor spaces
We figured we might as well make our yard a little oasis since we are most likely going to be spending a lot of time there this summer, whether we want to or not! We’ve spent some lovely weekends working on and caring for it and it’s giving us tremendous satisfaction! I feel very adult-ish in saying so. Nurturing the garden has given me lots of life these past few weeks.
Cold Showers and Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Soap
I’ve always heard that going cold in the shower was laden with all kinds of health benefits, but I always thought people who did them were a little bit crazy. Now, I’m one of them! I love the exhilaration I get each morning and the way it takes my breath away. I only do it for a minute and rinse off with hot before I get out. I don’t know if that’s the proper way, but it leaves me feeling alive, wide awake, and energized for the day! I’m all about it.
Another shower thing I’ve been loving is Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap because it has a similar effect of making you feel cold and tingly all over, then really good as the feeling fades away!
The birds singing
The birds are singing and fluttering about SO much at our house, and it’s the cheeriest thing!
Transformation videos of any kind
When your world is in chaos, it’s very soothing to watch come into order, I think. It could be the Marie Kondo Tv show, for example, or declutters, weight loss transformations, glow ups, pottery, painting, or what I’ve been really into recently, makeup GRWM on youtube. It’s satisfying to see something being made beautiful or right and it sort of gives you a sense of control, when most of life is out of control.
Sparkling water
I have so much passion for sparkling water these days. Who could know one would care so much for such a humble beverage….but the more I drink it, the more I love it, the more I want it, must have it, crave it! I’ve been exploring all the flavors the world of sparkling water has to offer, from plain ole sparkling water to bubbly’s from the dollar general store down the street (we go there for the cherry one in case of emergency) to Zevia's that taste like real soda but with stevia, to Waterloos and la Croix’s! They all have a personality of their own. I truly really do love em all. Sometimes I add stevia to them (it’s the only way to conceal the flavor of stevia I think) but I love em plain best, I think!
Taking Film Photos
I feel that looking out for the good and simple moments of our everyday life helps direct my mental focus on the right things! We have lots of slow, peaceful, fun moments at home, and film photography is a way to make art with them.
Learning to Drive Stick
I’m not the type who picks up a new skill quickly and I’ve never learned stick because I’ve always been afraid to ruin Mr. Bryant's corvette, but recently I got the urge to be able to drive it, and boy it is fun! Luckily Chafin is a patient teacher so we’ve only had a few stressful moments. It feels really good to learn something new. I can feel my brain stretching and growing and my synapsis connecting and the new skill clicking into place. I think that feeling is exhilarating. I think learning, especially something you have to be physically involved with (like a language or musical instrument) can feel great once you overcome the frustration of being a noob (and we all have to before we become great at something).
Lilly’s Dark Chocolate with Almond Butter on Top
Confession: I have this almost every day as a midday treat, and I don’t feel one bit bad about it! I allow myself to buy one Lilly’s chocolate per week (sugar and dairy-free) and I stretch it out over the week by having a small piece each day. I try to make a real luxurious moment of it and celebrate it, sitting down in a pretty spot and savoring the flavors.
Having a Budget and Spending it on Beautiful Things
I’ve always loved and enjoyed fashion because of the self-expression and enjoyment of beauty it gave - to me, it is certainly an art form. When it came to shopping, though, I’ve always had tons of guilt and stress around it. I never knew if I was doing it in a good way, and I realized I’d developed some unhealthy tendencies around it like using it as a coping tool, being indecisive in the extreme, as well as returning most of what I bought because I felt guilty to spend the money. We came up with a great system for me to have a budget and be able to spend it every quarter of the year - right now, it’s April, so it’s the second quarter of the year and I get to spend it. Through this process, I think I've gotten to know myself well and have come to greatly enjoy the process because I no longer have any of those bad feelings. It’s kinda embarrassing to admit to, but overcoming it and the new way I’m able to fully enjoy the experience as brought me a ton of joy! I feel really good about the decisions I’ve made this month, and have been putting my choices to good use around the house or on my trader joe's runs! The strange thing about the budget is, I think I enjoy the break from shopping as much as I enjoy the time to shop! each time and season enhances the other.
Having a good Cry on Sundays
I’m going to sound like a crazy person with this one. Crying on Sundays has been a favorite thing because it's making all the difference and even giving me better skin...I'll tell you why. I’ve realized that I tend to subconsciously carry the weight of the world, especially during a time like this - we probably all are a little bit. Although I try to manage my energy well and not put a lot into worrying about it during the week, it's been important for me to acknowledge that the state of our world and everything that comes along with it does sadden and burden me. It’s been great to have a release once a week to let the buildup go. I swear if I didn’t, the stress would try to come out in the form of a massive pimple! That was happening until I allowed myself to have the emotional release and let it go. I used to tend to try to reign in the tears, but I think it can be extremely healthy to have a good cry once in a while. My massage therapist used to always tell me that crying is one of the best ways to balance your hormones and restore your body in times of distressing emotion. The reason Sunday’s have been working out so well is that the sadness of everything tends to hit me when we are listening to church, distanced from the people we love, and we are praying for our city, nation, and world like we always do, and there is beautiful music being sung that helps to get me in touch with my heart and what’s going on in there. The whole act of listening to church on Sunday is also just soul-nourishing. I never thought I’d find a church like that but we did and I’m so thankful for it. I told my husband it’s a very practical and pragmatic way to sort out one’s emotional life and feel a huge sense of relief.
Youtube premium workouts
I adore not being advertised to, and since I’m not paying for the gym, paying for youtube premium is wonderfully worth it for me. I’m big on not letting anything less than good, pure, and uplifting into my mind at the start of the day. I treat it as a sacred space and time. Because of this, I love rolling out of bed and starting a video without being mentally bombarded. Sometimes I even turn off the sound and it’s just me n the birds while I workout!
Dressing up for trader joe’s
This is how I’m keeping my sanity and dignity during this time. Grocery shopping is a real event each week in quarantine, and I like to crawl out of my cave (sunshiney and cheerful thought it may be)and feel like a human being by getting wearing my favorite outfits! When I wear my lace-up ankle espadrille heels and my favorite linen pieces and my lipstick' I feel finnneeee! It’s a great feeling.
Fictional books
I’ve been reading fun tales of places and adventures far away. I love the Graustark series. I think that “The Secret Garden” or “The Little Princess” or “Anne of Greene Gables” could be fun to listen to or read because they are so innocent and pure and uncomplicated and easy to read, they are like a little vacation for your mind. Sometimes it’s nice to think about other people’s problems and watch them overcome them!
Having a Clean House
I get a little burst of oxytocin and satisfaction each time I walk through our freshly cleaned house! How I love a clean floor! It’s nice to feel there is a semblance of order and things be right in my life, even if it’s not in the world at this moment.
For me, thinking and writing these things has been a wonderful way to intentionally savor the good things in my life! I think the key to having a life you love is loving the life you have!
I would love to hear the things you've been enjoying and savoring in life, even if it's the simplest little thing! Sharing about the small joys of life is a super nice way to stay connected in a time of isolation, I think, and it would inspire me to hear from you. <3 I'd love to hear!
