Finding The Gift of Life's Little Pleasures by Debralee Mede

Life can be just too demanding at times and I certainly have felt the strain of these demands.  Lately, I have been trying to just take a step back and try to stop that whirlwind of anxiety and pressure that I feel. At times like this, when life seems to be getting crazier and far too complicated I find I need to "reel it in", step back and reevaluate things, and try to figure out what needs to stay and what should go.  It has been a time for me to just learn to be content with what I do, what I have. 'Stop and smell the roses" by taking a deep breath, a bit of a back seat and start to take a  look at what I have and what I am grateful for;  it's time to be happy and content with the  simple pleasures that I have in my life, now.  It reminds me of that song: "Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free, 'tis the gift to come down to where we ought to be…"

Simon Howden:freedigitalphotos.net

Living simply and enjoying it is not all that easy to learn but is important, at least it is for me.  There are things that make me feel that my life is more complicated than it should be like: money issues that prevent me from making necessary car repairs; not having a full-time job; spreading myself too thin with my time; just feeling as if I'm avoiding doing what I need to do to make my life work.   At times I find that I am struggling with hurt feelings and this gets in the way of appreciating what I have now.  So rather than fighting the feelings of loss and focusing on difficulties, I have discovered freedom by recognizing what I have, what I can be grateful for and just what simplicity can bring and this has brought me an inner peace and feeling of contentment.

Sure I still have to do some very needed and urgent things, like find a job but by separating the important and needed "to do list" from the "to do list" that I have allowed others to impose on me has given me the freedom to find what is important in my life. There is a kind of evolution that has come out of the pure necessity of simplifying my life and this has brought moments of opportunity for me to heal, grow and learn as well as to be more of a service to others. I realize, more now than ever before, that it is not what I own or will achieve but more about what I have innately to give: myself, my life, my talent and the permission to live, let live and let life unfold.  There is a new air that I am breathing now, a refreshing air that allows me to abandon expectations and realize that contentment is just around the bend.

This time has provided me the opportunity to grow and focus in life.  There are moments where expectations are abandoned as is the need to accomplish more than time allows or is humanly possible and this has allowed me to become the hero of my own life.  It has become a golden opportunity to recover clarity in my life, to attain a new kind of freedom with the discovery that life has meaning and I am grateful for it.

Evgeni Dinev: freedigitalphotos.net

I am rediscovering the richness of imagination, my own imagination; I am allowing myself to actually read and value reading and to write and enjoy it.  I am able to allow myself the joy and gift of doing something nice for someone else, "a random act of kindness," without worrying about the lack of time or where I have to be next;  it is so rewarding to share a kind word that is unexpected and to hope  that it may have helped them in some way.  I have rediscovered the beauty in nature, taking walks in my neighborhood, a park, or a nature trail nearby.  Being able to find time to talk to friends that I haven't spoken to in years brings me immeasurable pleasure.

There are many other humble delights on my list including listening to music for extended periods of time; being able to watch an old movie while eating popcorn with my son and a friend or two; swimming in the moonlight and walking on the beach and later becoming mesmerized by the ocean, hearing the waves and gulls and smelling the salty air while feeling my nerves untangle and relax.  Simply writing with good paper and pen; having an unplanned picnic lunch; being thankful for the times when my computer didn't give me difficulty because of needed repairs;  drinking fresh brewed iced tea; or just laying back and looking up at the clouds or the stars in an indigo night sky.  This list is by no means the complete list of things that I have gotten to relish.

So in this difficult time of mine I have discovered a true miracle in my life.  It can't be bought or earned but it can be shared because it is innately mine to share.  I have found something truly divine in my life: something that inspires and makes me whole.  And the rest of that song is:" … and when we find ourselves in the place just right, 'twill be in the valley of love and delight. When true simplicity is gained to bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed, to turn, turn, will be our delight till by turning, turning we come round right."   Here's to finding the gift of life's little things in your life and finding joy in simple pleasures.

nuchylee;freedigitalphotos.net

Please share what brings you joy? What are the simple pleasures that you appreciate in your life?  What are the little things that give you hope and happiness that are innately yours to share?

Filed under: Debralee Mede, romance