Simple Pleasures

What do you like? What gives you joy? What does it take to feel all the feels of these things? Seems like an silly topic, right? Unless, somewhere in life it wasn't safe to feel your feelings. The sad ones, the happy ones, the painful ones, the scary ones. It's possible to go through life without feeling, exhausting, but possible. It's not possible to really live life without feeling. 

I made a list of things I wanted to do this week that give me joy. That made my heart smile, produced laughter and enhanced life in general. One might think making such a list would be easy. For some people no doubt it is. For others it would be impossible. For me, a challenge, but doable. Here is the tricky part, doing them and feeling them. 

I grew up worrying if there was going to be enough, would I be enough. Would I get it right. Imagine the emotional weight of feeling your worth is based on getting everything right? That's heavy right, and made it hard to feel.

I'm keeping my list simple. Pizza & a movie night. I rarely get carry out, so that part was a treat. Easy to accomplish, done and done. Next up, time with friends. Even better entertaining friends which gave me the chance to cook. Then having a friend cook for me. I love that too. Having the chance to walk dogs with my son was an unexpected bonus. Plus we explored a path I'd been wanted to take but hadn't because my sense of direction is under developed. That's the polite way to say never ask me for directions. It was a great hike with awesome company and I learned a new route. Planting pansies is on the list. Did that today. I do love pansies and it reminds me summer gardening is not far away. Writing is on my list, both in my blog (tada!) and in my journal. A random act of kindness is on the list. Trusting an random opportunity will present itself.

These are simple things, simple pleasures. I should not take them for granted and I need to feel all the feels. I have to consciously feel all the feels. Too often we go through the motions without feeling the emotions.

Therein lies a challenge for all of us. Maybe you're an expert at this, maybe you're a novice. Identify some simple pleasures, partake in them, be open to feeling them. You might just find yourself filled with gratitude, openly experiencing life and doing the happy dance. Go for it, feel it, celebrate it.