Does it Make Your Heart Sing?
The last few posts I’ve written have had quite a serious tone to them.
Explorations of death, the quest for perfection, and unravelling of the soul.
Yeah! I’d say those are pretty heavy topics, but it just happened to be that I’ve had a summer of life-laundry so to speak. Of clearing, reassessing, and creating space for new energy to come in. I wrote a post called “Does it make your heart sing?” a few years ago, and I remember that it gave me such a strong sense of gratitude in a time when life was getting too serious, and so I thought I’d revisit that theme again!
It’s been a bittersweet few months, with the launch of my new site, some sad news, lazy days relaxing by the pool and trips to beach that seem timeless.
I had a lot of time to just allow myself to be, and ask myself the questions of what’s working for me, and simply what isn’t. I’ve spent many hours on the computer this summer, and while I’ve had plenty of outdoor time to connect with my family and nature, it’s still more time than I’d like to invest sitting in a chair rather than connecting in the flesh! But systems needed to be built, and we are in a time of structure right now, and at least there is comfort in knowing I’m not the only one.
The energy right now is all about “building, creating, and formatting” our dreams.
And through it all, I’ve asked myself over and over again. What is it Stephanie, that makes your heart sing?
What is it truly that creates a simple sense of joy, peace, and harmony?
Here are 5 things that make my heart sing right now…
1) Living Life in the Desert. I’ve always enjoyed living in the desert since the moment I landed on Saudi Arabian soil (errr, sand!) over 17 years ago. There is just something magical about the absolute scarcity and tenacity that the desert exudes. There is nothing, and yet there is EVERYTHING. It’s the kind of place you go and get swept away in the vastness of it all. Sweeping Dunes, intricate grains of sand, all weave their own story of millions of years in coming together to create a symphony of shadows, light, and splendor!
2) Writing with pen and paper. Yeah, you heard me right, pen and paper baby! I hate to admit it, but I think I almost forgot what it was like to actually pick up a pen and write! Sure, I write A LOT tapping my fingers on the keyboard with the reflection of an LED screen lighting me up, but it wasn’t until recently when I bought some really nice parchment paper and some calligraphy pens that I remembered how much I LOVE just scribbling notes, doodling, and writing tangible notes on paper. Affirmations, swirls, and twirls, and a whole lot of nothing! I’ve written a few inspirational things to pin up on the wall, and attempted to make some scripty fonts, but alas, it’s just nice to see your thoughts take shape on paper, which is kind of meditative in itself. Pure and utter bliss…
3) Watching my girls connect despite their age differences. Ok, first of all I’ll come clean. There has been a LOT of yelling this summer! A kick here, a pinch there, yelling, yelping, you name it. It’s been said and done, so by no means has it all been rosy, but when it does come together, I’ve taken a deep breath knowing that the bonds these 3 girls have are SOUL DEEP. They’ve got each other’s backs when it comes down to it, and they are very aware of where they fit in the family structure. They all have important roles to play, and I learn so much by watching them interact.
4) Taking time out for me, whether it’s a 10 minute escape to my office/healing room, or an afternoon out with my camera snapping away at whatever draws my attention, I have really enjoyed the time I’ve spent alone, which is something that always made me antsy in the past. My brain would start buzzing, and then all those stories we tell ourselves (the self induced paranoia, the worry, the angst…) would start bellowing from the folds of my brain. It wasn’t pleasant, nor was it comfortable. So, let’s just say it’s taken a bit of work to get to a place where I am now enjoying time by myself, and the effort that has gone into pushing outside my comfort zone has been SO worth it!
5) Breathing in the details of life. This is really is in essence what I’m all about, and as a result what my brand is about. Breathing in the moment, breathing in little details. Taking note of beauty where you don’t normally look for it. Part of my aim through my photography is to get people to see their lives from a different perspective. Too often, we keep on the quest for “perfect” when everything is already PERFECT as it is. And it’s in this quest, we lose sight of life happening all around us. That life doesn’t stop, it is us that stops breathing and living. We hold our breath, worrying, watching, waiting for the next moment, without any acknowledgement for the adventure and quest we’re already on. We have so much power to create and shape the beauty around us, but until we can realize the beauty that already exists, we lose sight of the magic we need to make things happen. Here’s to the grime of every day life. The boring, the banal, the mundane. Isn’t it beautiful?
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What makes your heart sing? I’d love to hear your comments below!
It is often that I need to be reminded of all the things I’m grateful for (I am human after all!), and so in the name of gratitude, I’ve created a book “Breath of Love-44 Days of Gratitude” for you to enjoy and to call you back into the moment whenever you need it! If you haven’t already downloaded a copy, go to my website and sign up for my mailing list. You’ll then receive an email with the link to the download! Enjoy! This book is also available in print and makes a great gift, you can purchase a copy here!
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