Tag Archives: Joy

Glimmers

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Have you heard of glimmers? 

As I consider my own gratitudes, exhaustion, and seeking ways to soften my own life, I find this concept has been a recurring theme.

The general idea is that a glimmer is something small that sparks joy in your life. We are tallkjng about the truly small things like that first sip of hot chocolate on a fall evening, catching sight of the full moon, or hearing laughter from afar. 

Glimmers usually aren’t typically planned although I suppose they could be.  They are incredibly good for our mental health because they are small reminders that life isn’t so bad and they help us build emotional resilience. 

When you see the good in the world, you assume there is more good beyond what you see. There’s something positive around the next corner. 

A glimmer is the opposite of a trigger. While triggers are the small things that irritate us and fire up lots of negativity, sadness and anger, glimmers will calm and soothe. They make us happy. They make us smile. They spark creativity and joy. 

This week has not been the best but I have been enjoying some glimmers here and there. One day this week I was waiting my turn at a busy intersection and happened to look over to see a little bird splashing in a mud puddle at the side of the road. That little guy was experiencing pure bliss, splashing, ducking under the water, and spinning around before splashing some more! 

That same day, I saw a beautiful rabbit in a neighbor’s yard. 

I was on the road for work yesterday and experienced construction and traffic delays in multiple locations. As I headed home, I impulsively drove right past my turn to come home and headed to the Dollar General down the road. Whoever owns the field next to that store has planted it with sunflowers. It’s a glorious display of sunflowers right there along a busy state route. 

My pictures are terrible because I didn’t want to trespass and had to aim my phone camera through some brush and the iPhone camera isn’t great. Still, isn’t it lovely to think that someone would plant such a beautiful display of flowers just to give me a glimmer one August day? 

Look around you, friends. There are glimmers everywhere. You just have to know how to spot them! 

Finding Joy In The Everyday

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If you’re like me and have a full time job, it’s hard to get out for adventure and fun on any regular basis. Day trips are limited to the weekends and opportunities for longer trips to just a few weeks of the year.

Does that mean we can’t experience joy and even a mini adventure in the every day?

I think not.

Yesterday was a long, busy work day. I traveled about a an hour from home and spent the day at an office I rarely get to visit. The route is cross country on hilly, curvy county roads and state routes. It’s over hill and dale through deer country and through some of Ohio’s most beautiful countryside.

The colors are past peak but still vibrant right now and made a gorgeous back drop. It’s awe inspiring to see how much the landscape has changed in the last few weeks.

My destination was named for a German town called Bremen. In the early 20th century, Bremen experienced a tremendous oil boom and had all sorts of industry. Today, it’s largely a bedroom community but it always pleases me to drive past the old homes that are remnants of the wealth the oil derricks and other industry provided.

It was a joy to be there.

At lunch, I went out to grab a bite to eat and to run a couple of work errands. On the way back I turned up the tunes and opened the sunroof, basking in the glory of a gorgeous fall day.

And then I saw it.

Coming toward me was a car with a dachshund sticking up from their sunroof! That little dog’s ears flapped in the wind and I knew he was living his very best life.

What an adventure!

The point is that real life dictates that we show up and be responsible every day. That doesn’t mean you can’t find some joy and even a mini adventure in your everyday life.

Try it sometime! It really does make life more enjoyable! In other words, be as happy as a dachshund with its ears in the wind!

Slowing Down

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As the world begins to slow down and winter approaches, it’s time to think about slowing down your own life and embrace this next season of rest and quiet.

When was the last time you walked amongst the trees and squirrels? When was the last time you slept in? When was the last time you had the camper out or set up a tent for the kids in the back yard?

The burn ban has been lifted here in southern Ohio. Maybe it’s time to have a bonfire. Hot chocolate and smores for everyone!

Read a book, take time to play catch with your grandkids, watch rain drops stream down the window, kick up your feet for a beloved old movie or use the chocolate chip bag recipe to make some cookies.

Action packed doesn’t equal happy. Sometimes the happiest moments can be found in the slow, quiet ones.

October is typically my busiest month of the year. November is a delightfully quiet, slower and darker time to rest and revitalize the mind, body, and spirit. I am beginning to yearn for early bedtimes and cozy nights at home.

As much as I love all the running around I’m doing right now, I eagerly await what’s to come with the shorter days of November!

The Thing That Sparks Joy

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Fall vacation is finally here and I couldn’t be more pleased. Exhaustion had set in so I’m relieved for some R&R at home and for some adventure days out in the world.

It’s a fine line to walk. I’m tired on most average days but life is more than sleep and work. The thing that brings me the most joy is something that many would consider an afterthought or altogether unnecessary. 

Going out to explore the forests, the back roads, cities, museums, bookstores and all the other fascinating places that make this world amazing is the thing that brings me the most joy. 

It’s the thing that infuses me with enough energy and enthusiasm to face another day. 

The above picture is from Pittsburgh. There’s a walking trail that my friend introduced me to partly because she wanted me to see this place. It’s private property and is the site of a fabulous collection of vintage signs and assorted fun stuff. It looks like the guy who owns it ran out of garage space and his wife told him to move it somewhere out of her way. .

It’s a fun surprise and a feast for the eyes. It’s the kind of thing that sparks excitement in my heart and spirit. 

I hope there’s something in your life that brings you such joy. If so, go embrace it! Even if no one else understands.

Joy In The Everyday

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There is joy to be found in everyday living.

To have a day at home. To spend a morning washing sheets, airing out the house, tidying up the small messes of daily life. To scramble some eggs in your favorite pan. To turn up the tunes and clean a closet. To make a snack and watch a favorite movie. To curl up with a book, to play with your cat, to wear your favorite fuzzy socks. To watch the sun slip behind the trees as night begins to close in on the day.

None of these things cost but all of these things contribute to your betterment. These small comforts and delightful acts bring comfort and joy to the everyday. 

The average day is chock full of these small things if only you allow yourself to notice and appreciate them. There is joy to be found when life is normal, when there’s no excitement or tumult to distract and stress you. 

Isn’t it lovely to think we don’t need much to be happy?

NO-vember

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There is a movement afoot this month to rethink November as NO-vember. The idea behind it is to say no to the things that don’t matter, no to the things that steal your joy, no to the things that cause you stress.

This fits in well with what I wrote yesterday about the time change. Sometimes, as we seek joy in the small things, we have to say no to the unnecessary stuff all around us.

This November, by saying no to the people who makes us feel inferior and no the unnecessary things that drag us down, there’s more time to focus on the good.

This November, I plan to hike, to eat nourishing foods, to read and to feather my nest in preparation for the winter hibernation season.

Life has taught me that saying no isn’t a bad thing. Sometimes it’s the only way to get to the yes of what matters most to you.