I woke up on Saturday morning with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. A gratitude so deep I kept feeling like I was going to cry, in fact, I did have a few little tears as I was driving from appointment to appointment.
The tears weren't from overwhelm or sadness though, but just from deep, deep appreciation for life and all that was in mine currently.
Don't get me wrong either. Life isn't peachy perfect. There are stresses from a day job, there are still petty arguments and there are still nights where I get minimal sleep - but none of that matters. There really is no secret to all of this, but if there is one thing to remember through your hours in the day and days of the week it is this. What we think about, expands, and what we focus on we attract. If I focused on what's not right, on what is not making me super grateful at the moment - guess what I'll be attracting more of? Bad shit of course.
Instead, I choose to engage in the positive, I allow myself to wake, with the deepest gratitude in my belly that just seems to be growing by the day and guess what happens? That gratitude expands more and more. Gratitude for the smallest of things, like your warm doona, Winters sun, hot peppermint tea, laughter from a loved one - that is what makes life worth living.
There is so much in my life at the moment I am grateful for. Wedding plans + new business launches + growing friendships + impending holidays + my beautiful online community + updating our home + amillionotherthings. But putting the big stuff aside, I wanted to honour the 'little' stuff - the moments and memories and words that are making my life so incredibly rich at the moment.
This article on 'love in pictures' by the beautiful Mary from 'Mary & Justin'
Do you have those friends that catching up with them is like Christmas Eve and you know you won't drag yourself away from the date for at least 5-6 years? I do. Her name is Belinda (B) and she not only fills my life with love and joy and glitter puffs, she sends me rad links she thinks I might adore - and this was one of them. Meet two strangers in love. Mary - who wrote the article - was waiting in a hairdressing waiting room next to the elderly gentleman when his wife came out from her appointment. He treated her with adoration and love and he was showing her off like they were giddy teenagers in love. Mary goes on to write a small love letter to her husband Justin and it is all just heart warmingly gorgeous. It's stories like this that I know contribute to the good in the world.
Quality Time interventions with the man
Because sometimes life gets so busy I forget that I need to stop and remember what it's all about.
Because sometimes I need a loving but forceful "anna you need to have some time for yourself away from the laptop.
Because sometimes HE needs some time with just me. No phones, no laptops, no tv's. Just us.
Because sometimes there is nothing better to do on a warm Winters day in Perth than go back to your favourite walking spot that you haven't walked in months.
Because sometimes - you both just need some quality time.
& he is the one that can do all of the above for me. Sunday afternoon saw us stroll hand in hand for 7km around Perth (Mt Pleasant) Bridges for some down time quality time and it was so just what the doctor ordered. Peace. Calm. Laughs. Catch up. I was ready to take on the world again (& he was ready to let me).
Breakfast with my gorgeous girl - & bridesmaid - Dee
My soul sista' Dee & I have been breakfast dating for a couple of years now and it is a tradition that I cherish so much. There will never be enough hours in the day for our catch ups but it's these kind of soulful hang outs - where there is laughter, love, support that make my days and life so SO rich and worthwhile.
If you have been a reader of this space for awhile, you'll know my love & I took a 4.5 month trip of a lifetime through Europe last year and had THE time of our lives - it was also when and where he proposed! I am still getting around to putting photos up and this week had some spare minutes to put the Spanish part of our leg up. We travelled through Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, Mallorca & San Sebastian and it was such an incredible part of our trip.
I am SO for living hard in the moment, being present, putting the camera away at treasured moments to actually just 'be' but I truly can't tell you just how important it is - and was to us - to get snap happy on our holiday, and I will be happy about that forever. Looking back over our photos I am literally transported right back to the exact moment on the exact day and can even remember what I was feeling or what Morgs and I were talking or laughing about. I'll cherish the photos and memories for-ev-ah and it was so sweet being able to have this week to look back over some of them.
Current books in my life
There are few things that I consider necessary to live an abundant and happy life & reading amazing books is one of them. This is what I currently have on my bedside table and I make sure I read for 30 minutes in bed every night or at least 1 chapter of a book. Words can change a mindset, a mood, a life - even a nation. If you want other reading inspiration I posted the 10 books that changed my life here.
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I hope you are filling your happiness list this week with the small stuff and the big stuff - like phone calls from friends, excitement for dinner dates, coziness of your bed, the smile from a stranger and the fact we got to wake up for a new day with 24 beautiful hours before us.
Eeep!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI feel like a movie star right now. Thank you SO MUCH for your sweet words. Prepare to be inundated with more luscious links in the very near future. Mwah xoxoxoxoxoxo