Finding Gratitude in Simple Joys

Are you missing the gratitude? Do you often find yourself feeling tired, spent, or even exhausted? Maybe you feel challenged to find balance and contentment. Human lives can get very complicated sometimes. However, it’s possible to discover some of the simpler joys in life to soothe your soul. Simple pleasures are all around you. You have to be alert to notice them.

Try these strategies to cultivate more joy in your everyday life:

1. Marvel, once again, about the clouds in the sky. When was the last time you did this? When you were small, you probably laid on a blanket outdoors, staring up at the sky, looking for interesting shapes in the clouds. Why not do it now?

• Invite your partner or your kids to go outside with you. Grab a blanket on your way out the door. Then, lay back in the soft grass. No radios or phones! Look up and lose yourself in the clouds. Be present in only this moment. No past – no future – there’s only now. Share what you see with your loved ones.
• You’ve just found a very simple pleasure – one you can enjoy almost any time.

2. Watch a sunset. Talk about a wondrous event! Sunsets vary each day. Like snowflakes, no two are exactly alike.

• Watching the sunset can be an awesomely peaceful and quiet experience. Or it can be the cause for a celebration, whatever you choose. However you approach it, sunset watching is an effortless joy that won’t cost you a penny.

3. Re-discover nature and experience the gratitude you feel. No matter where you live, you can walk outdoors and see what’s there. Even in Brooklyn, a tree is probably growing near you.

• Do you love birds? Get a pair of binoculars, sit outdoors on the porch step, and watch the free show that only birds can present.
• If you’re into horticulture, take a walk to admire all the lovely trees and plants you see.
• For a real treat, drive to your local national park and take in all the bounties of simple pleasures that nature provides.

4. Revive your love of reading. Whether you’re curling up on the sofa with a novel by your favorite author or sitting in the sun reading one of the classics, reading is a simple joy that you can do anytime you want.? I can’t express my gratitude enough when I am reading a good book!
5. Spend a day in your pajamas. You know you want to!

• After you’ve had one of those really hectic weeks where work and personal situations collided to produce a lot of tension, try setting aside a weekend day where you don’t even get dressed.
• Spend the day lying around in your PJs. All day, do whatever you like. Talk with your kids or spend quality time with your partner. Maybe you want to read. That’s okay, too! It’s your day, after all.

6. Make yourself a great cup of coffee, your favorite iced latte, or a glass of tea, and relax. Sometimes, all you need to feel better is doing something simple: fix your favorite beverage and take five.
7. Decide to do whatever you want just for one hour today. Life can seem so overwhelming sometimes that you may feel totally disconnected from the activities you love to do.

• Whether you enjoy doing a particular craft or playing a sport for fun, make time to do what excites you.

Creating a life of harmony includes regularly seeking out simple pleasures. Very little money is required so that you can experience joy in your life every day. Make an effort to find your simple joys, and you can create the life you deserve.

Be Well.
Paul.
The Gratitude Guru