One of the simple ways I combat these things and find some renewed strength to keep going, is in finding moments of joy in my day to day. Finding things I'm grateful for. I'm not sure if it's feeling joyful that makes me grateful, or gratitude that makes me joyful, but for me, the two are deeply entwined.
For example, Saturdays I engage in a little ritual called Naked Saturday, and yes it's exactly what it sounds like.
I don't get dressed on Saturday. I stay naked and usually in bed for the entire day. It's something that forces me to slow down, go slower, spend more time in the moment. I don't write, although I have been known to blog. I don't get online much at all. I play the sims, I paint my finger nails, deep condition my hair, take naps, read... all the things that the rest of the week seems to squeeze out, but things I immensely enjoy.
I suppose we could also call this I enjoy being a girl Saturday. :)
I also tend to take a long hot bath this one day out of the week. Something I literally haven't done since I was a teenager and had forgotten how much I enjoy. When I take these baths I use something called a bath bomb from Basin White. Someone special bought me a few recently, I'd been telling him about the store, as I had only recently discovered it, and he thought I may enjoy having them. At first I felt bad because I honestly had no intentions on taking a bath, it's a weight thing. Anyone overweight knows how awkward getting in a normal sized tub can be, but I decided to honor the gift and give it a try and good lord I fit in the tub! Which was thrilling in itself, but my point here is that when I throw that bath bomb into the hot water, and I see it start to fizz and color my water, and the scent fills the air, I have this moment where I just realize life can be so beautiful and I'm so grateful for everything in my life right now, even the struggles.
A little bath bomb does all that.
And the bath is pretty damn good too!
I believe that whatever we are going through in life and whatever we are struggling with, becomes just a little easier when we remember the small things in life that bring us joy. When we remember little things we're grateful for.
Sure we're always going to feel gratitude for our kids, the health of those we love, a roof over our heads and that we made it through another day, but when you stop and see all the tiny ways that your life is blessed, at least for me, it reminds me how important I am to the creator of the universe who looks after me well. It makes me feel loved. It makes me feel like I matter in some small way.
A bath bomb may seem like an inconsequential thing, but it floods my soul with gratitude and joy and that allows me to go on in the world and do good things. It's all connected. We need the small as well as the big stuff to go our way, but the big stuff is so in our face that often times we overlook all the little blessings our life holds. So next time you're frazzled or stressed and nothing seems to be going right and you're about to throw something against a wall... perhaps a laptop or a spouse ;-) find some small thing that makes you joyful and embrace that moment for as long as you can. I promise, you'll be surprised how much strength you can draw from something that seems so benign and maybe for even a little while, you'll let that joy fizz up in your soul soothing life's rough edges, the way the bath bombs fizz in a tub of hot water and soothes the skin.
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