Creative Every Day

Wellness Wednesday

November 14th, 2007

As I was pondering what to write about for Wellness Wednesday earlier this week, I remembered a list I created recently of things that make me truly happy.  Then yesterday, Jessie wrote a great post about figuring out what she wanted  for her life by examining what brings her satisfaction and I decided I wanted to focus in on this. As silly as it sounds, I think sometimes we forget what makes us happy. It's different for everyone and at times it gets easy to get into a routine that is more about the status quo and less about who we are and what we love. I guess, I just figured that I would automatically include those things I love in my everyday life, but it's not always that simple. Sometimes, you need to consciously think about what brings you joy and then make the effort to include those things in your day to day life. Sure, not everything you love may fit into one day, but making room for joys small and large is a surefire way to bring more happiness into your life.

Just thinking about it isn't always enough. As with many things, I recommend writing it down. But you could also make a collage about it with images that represent what makes you happy or write a poem or a song about it. Just get it out of your head. Something about putting it out there is magical. I like lists, so I tend to write these things down. So I'll write: What brings me joy? And then start to list things such as: cats and kittens, snuggling, hearing my cats purr, laughing with the hubster, laughing in general, beautiful sunsets, crossing things off my to-do list, making art, inspiring others, making babies smile, hot chocolate on a cold night, soft fleece against my skin, the smell of aveda shampure, little boxes, birds, traveling to new places, libraries, reading, and so on and so forth.

Making a list like this is enough to make you smile, but then go back to it and look closer. How many of these things are in your day to day life now? And how can you infuse more of these joyful things into your life? Sure I may not be able to travel to new places everyday, but I can include more art-making or make a point to see the sunset this week or play with my collection of small boxes or make a point of going to the library for a half hour and I could even make a plan to visit a new city and put up some pictures of the places I'd like to visit to inspire me.

I surprise myself sometimes with how sometimes what brings me the most joy isn't the most easy thing in the world. It takes effort to take out those art supplies and then clean up the mess afterwards, I have to push myself to get out for some exercise, and this cleaning and purging thing going on in my office is a LOT of work! But the joy at the end, the satisfaction, the way I feel during and after I get past that point of stuck-ness is so very worth it. I guess that's why it's important to remind ourselves now and again why we need to push ourselves a little bit...because the joy on the other side is wondrous and we deserve that. And as a bonus, that joy tends to radiate to those who come into contact with us too, causing a ripple effect of joy that knows no bounds.

Back with art later tonight. I'm so excited for Project Runway tonight! Wee! And a big thanks to all you AEDM-ers  out there for all the wonderful support and inspiration. I can't get around to everyone every day, but I do check in on all of you and I'm so inspired by your creations, your energy, and your experiences. And that fills me up.

 

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