July 20 - Simple Pleasures

"Simply Enjoy Life and the Great Pleasures That Come With It."

There are so many things to enjoy this time of year, despite the severe heat. 

 

Enjoying simple pleasures is a direct route to mindful living. 

Here are a few things I've been enjoying:

      A couple of young neighbor girls often ride their bikes with training wheels up and down the sidewalk in front of my house. I love watching and listening to them. 

     Fresh produce. I'm very lucky to have a friend who shares her bounty with me!

     The swimming pool. Kids and families laughing and playing together.

     An iced tea.

     Ice cream.
  
     My nightly warm bath.

     Reading a good book.

What are some of your simple pleasures?

(Days 220-222)

     

    

 

Simply enjoy life and the great pleasures that come with it.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/k/karolinaku347878.html?src=t_pleasures

Simply enjoy life and the great pleasures that come with it.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/k/karolinaku347878.html?src=t_pleasures

Simply enjoy life and the great pleasures that come with it.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/k/karolinaku347878.html?src=t_pleasures

Simply enjoy life and the great pleasures that come with it. Karolina Kurkova
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/k/karolinaku347878.html?src=t_pleasures

Simply enjoy life and the great pleasures that come with it. Karolina Kurkova
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/pleasures.html

July 18 - Remember to Live Mindfully

“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.” ~Amit Ray

As I continue my mindful living journey, I am thankful for how much I have learned about mindful living and how it helps me overcome my anxiety and worry. The past couple of weeks, after feeling somewhat down earlier this summer, have been much more relaxing and enjoyable. Living in the moment, enjoying the summer, playing with the grand kids...focusing on NOW...it really is the key to happiness. After 220 days, I wish I could say mindful living has become second nature to me. While it is easier, I often revert back to planning, worrying and wondering. I wanted to do a quick blog post to remind myself, and anyone reading, to remember these five tips for mindful living:

Breathe!

Focus on what is in front of you.

Tune into what you are doing when you are doing it.

Remember - thoughts are just thoughts.

Take time to simply be.

(Days 205-220)

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July 3, 2017 - Loving Others

"Love demands that I learn how to focus my attention on the needs of those I love." -John Powell

For the past week I have been with my 2-year old grandson, Cade while his mom and dad took a short vacation. His older two siblings spent the time with their other grand parents. Cade was born with Hypolplastic Left  Heart Syndrom (HLHS) so is developmentally behind for a 2-year old. He also has a feeding tube. Needless to say I had some worry about handling the feedings. However, my daughter had confidence in me, and I very much wanted her and her husband to have an opportunity to get away. Cade has made a lot of progress in the last six months! He is walking, talking (both with sign language and verbally), and plays independently and with others. He seems to be quickly catching up. It brought me such great joy to have this one on one time with Cade. 

Why do I bring this up on my mindful living blog? Because, by being attentive to the needs of others, I felt an overwhelming since of love. It's a lot for my daughter and her husband to care for three children, one of which has special needs. So it was nice to get Snapchats and pictures of them enjoying themselves. And the smiles and snuggles I got from Cade over the last week are priceless. I'm grateful to have had this special time with this special little boy.

Now to rest and relax and take care of myself !

Days 185-204