Lately, I've been focusing on my happiness. It's not that I'm depressed or really unhappy. It's just that I came to the realization a couple of weeks ago that I'm living life on autopilot. I'm not really enjoying my life. I'm not really, truly, 100% happy. I'm ho-hum and for whatever reason I'm having trouble with it.
After this realization, I decided that I was going to be purposeful in my happiness. I would think of those things...those events...those people that have brought me joy over my lifetime and intentionally place them in my life. For instance, I have admired my rose bushes and other flowering beauties that grace my landscaping for years. They make me happy to see them. Work, however, does not bring me so much happiness. So, before leaving for work last Friday morning, I snipped a beautiful rose and some other tiny flowery thingy, and placed them in a dainty, light blue glass vase. I brought the tiny vase into work with me and sat it next to my computer monitor. That tiny glimpse of my garden brought me much joy that day.
It's things like this that I'm trying to incorporate more into my world.
Just yesterday, I discovered where my Happy Place is. I have always enjoyed the outdoors. I have always loved the smells of outdoors, the sounds, the woods, rivers, and creeks. I didn't realize until yesterday, however, just how much nature calms my soul and rejuvenates me.
After dropping my youngest off at a birthday party, my oldest daughter and I drove about 10 minutes to a state park. We paid our $5, stuck the receipt on the dash, parked by the nature center, and took off in search of adventure. And while we found some adventure in scaling a massive, slippery with mud, nearly vertical hill which left my daughter in tears with fear, I found peace; I found beauty; I found rest. I found pure happiness in those woods. I guess you could say that I found myself.
I realized yesterday exactly how much I love the woods. It also donned on me that I've been depriving myself. I haven't escaped enough from the hustle and bustle of Mommy World to focus on me and what I like to do. I'm always giving to my kids and my husband. I do what THEY like to do all the time. Very, very rarely do I ever do what I want to do! So, I'm putting my foot down! My family is more than welcome to join me on my next nature hike, but even if they decide to do something else I know I'll return feeling happy, rebooted, and ready to go.
So what about you? When life seems crazy and you need a break, what do you do? Where do you go to refresh your soul?
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