Tag Archives: good life

If You’re Lucky

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If you’re lucky, your life will be a bit of a journey. There will be ups and downs and some unexpected detours. You’ll go places sometimes and occasionally feel like you’re standing still.

Every day won’t be great or fun. Some days will be downright hard. If you’re lucky, there will be adventure and, if you’re lucky, there will be some quiet too.

It’s nice when there’s balance and planning. But you know something? Odds are pretty good that you won’t always feel like you’re in control. You’ll feel like you’re along for the ride.

And you know something else? That’s not always a bad thing.

I stopped for gas a while back and noticed this scruffy little dog peering at me while waiting for his owner to come back. He looks like the type that would enjoy having the wind in his ears and a good old fashioned joy ride around town.

I was in a hurry to get somewhere and he seemed to be laughing at me as I rushed to start the car.

Silly human. Enjoy the journey, he seemed to say.

And that’s what I’m telling you as well. Whether today is good, bad or indifferent and whether you’re moving forward or standing still, enjoy this day and wherever it takes you.

More Of What Makes Us Feel Alive

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Sometimes we are tired because we aren’t rested and sometimes we are tired because we aren’t doing enough of the things that make us feel alive.

I have strayed far down a path away from the things that make me feel happy – road trips, writing, and exploration of the world around me have taken a backseat to work, illness and an all around sense of busyness.

Winter is done. Spring has sprung. It’s time to get busy living.

I’m ready for some road trips, for diner food and for tours of random historic sites. I’m ready for a long weekend looking at murals and flowers, for slamming on the brakes to photograph a barn, and for falling into bed at night exhausted from a day of seeing what’s around the next bend in the road.

I want to roll into a town I don’t know well, park the car and walk around. The world looks so different and is more engaging as a pedestrian.

These are the things that bring me joy and that make me feel like me. It has been a while and I think it’s time to go.

We spend so much time at work and fulfilling obligations in life outside work. We spend so much time recovering from a busy week and preparing for the next one. When did life become such a drag? When did the to-do list become the most important thing? 

When did the news, weather, and mowing grass become the only thing we know how to discuss? 

Let’s read a book, go for a drive, watch a documentary, learn a hobby, visit somewhere new, and learn something interesting so we aren’t swallowed up by the drudgery and by the mundane reality of merely existing.

Are you in? 

Let’s go.

A Case For Slow Living

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It may come as a surprise to learn that I’m a proponent of slow living.

This movement encourages people to choose a more balanced, meaningful life by literally slowing down. It’s about slowing down to appreciate your day, your surroundings and whatever it is you value. I think of it as a form of self care, personal development and time management all rolled into one.

I’m on the go a lot but it’s not the same kind of busily moving about as many people embrace. On Saturday I drove to Marietta for a walk along the river, a stroll through a historic cemetery, and to sit quietly next to someone and enjoy the beauty of an old basilica.

It was a splendid day of small discoveries.

We eventually ended up surrounded by adolescents in a mall bookstore and at a TJ Maxx with pushy women pushing carts full of stuff in an endless search for more.

I typically enjoy a little shopping but it stressed us both out.

Luckily, we still had the sunset to enjoy on the way home, mixing in companionable silence with reminiscing about the day.

That’s how I live slow and still go out and discover.

For me, slow living means time in nature. Books in bed. Sleeping in. Listening to LPs on the record player. Simmering soup and a cat nearby. Bubble baths on Sunday night and warm cookies just because. Clean sheets, moonlit nights, a neatly organized closet, a bird outside the window….. the list is seemingly endless when it comes to the things that bring joy in this slow life of mine.

I am surrounded by people who are constantly on the go. Kids’ birthday parties, soccer, dance, volunteerism, social functions and generally constant running around of some kind. If that’s the life you live and enjoy then I am happy that you are happy.

If you don’t enjoy it, there’s no time like the present to stage the great escape.

If that’s not your life and you worry you should be doing more, I want you to remember that this is your life to build and do with as you please. If you are happy sitting by a fire on a Friday night, don’t feel guilty for not joining your friends at the big game.

You can’t be everywhere at once and it’s needless to try. Instead, maybe focus on the things you enjoy. Maybe it’s woodworking or a long bike ride. It could be cooking a meal for your family to enjoy and watching Christmas movies on the couch. It may be cleaning your home and making it look pretty even if you are the only person who will ever see your cozy space.

Never let anyone make you feel like these things aren’t enough or that you should be doing more.

I recently flipped through a book about suggested tools for slow living. It mentioned things like a picnic basket, favorite blankets and a couch to enjoy them on. It listed all manner of things like a tea kettle, board games and candles.

My list for daily slow living would include my hiking shoes, paper maps, books, good music and a porch for enjoying the seasons. It would include feeling rested after a good night’s sleep too.

Some people think they lead a boring life. Maybe you do. Maybe you should just reframe your thinking to appreciate that you have time to stop and smell the roses if you’re a gardener or to spend time with your grandkids and feel rested each day.

Do as you please.

Fast life, slow life, adventurous one or somewhere in between – just remember you get this one life and you must live it in a way that makes your soul feel happy.

It’s a constant struggle. Even after years of practice, I still feel myself getting pulled in directions where others believe I should be. If you are a person in my life and I say yes to you, feel special. It doesn’t happen often.

What are your tools for slow living? How do you fight off all the demands other people make on your time? How do you have the life you actually want?

Think Outside The Tent

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Scout likes to gather his favorite toys in one place and play with them all at one time. Here he has his Shark tunnel (best $6 ever spent), a Hot Wheels car shaped like a dinosaur, and his tent which was a gift from my coworker’s cat.

You’ve heard of thinking outside the box? He likes to think outside the tent!

He often takes mousies into his tent and stretches out as pictured here.

It’s shocking how fast he can jump out from this position and nab your leg. It’s actually a little scary how good his reflexes are. More than anything, it’s delightful to see how happy he is playing with these things.

We all could learn something from Scout. He doesn’t need fancy new toys to be happy. His old stuff, a patch of sunlight, and the occasional wad of paper liberated from the office trash can are enough to fill his day with joy.