Smell the Flowers

We all could use a little more sweetness in our lives; but if we are being honest, most of us already have plenty of sweet things! We simply don’t take the time to notice and soak them in for all they’re worth. So today, I want to share with you a couple of tips to help make the most of our sweet things in life; and just maybe we will find that we truly have an abundance of goodness all around us.

Take Notice

To smell the flowers, you have to notice they’re there in the first place. This is the biggest obstacle we face when it comes to enjoying the little things around us. If we are not aware of our surroundings, if we are so caught up in our own busyness, we will absolutely miss seeing the good we’ve got. Practice being more observant and conscious of the things you see, smell, taste, touch, do, and think by being fully present.

I don’t mean to brag, but I’m REALLY good at going through the motions. I can make breakfast while completely zoning out the playful squeals of my baby girl and the wild lion “ROAR” sounds coming from my nearly 2 year old boy. I can go to take a sip of my coffee just to realize I drank it all, not knowing when or even how good it was. Too much sugar? Too bitter? Just right? I have no idea, because I went through the motions of it.

I missed out on enjoying my coffee, I missed out on being grateful for my happy children. The fact is, I miss out on all the things I don’t take the time to observe.

Activate your brain, notice the happy sounds of your children, taste your coffee, and see the good around you. Be present.

Salty To Sweet

Sometimes we sabotage ourselves with our own salty moods. When I am frustrated, not only do I miss the good things, but I turn them negative: the sweet sounds of my children become an annoyance, my passion for cooking turns into a chore, texting my friend back is now an obligation, the loving touch of my husband becomes trying. We’ve all been there- in fact, I’ve been there a lot!

A bad mood is hard to pull out of, and worse there’s the paradox of it: a bad mood will keep us from enjoying life, however, to get out of a bad mood, we need to enjoy life. How irritating. Don’t lose hope yet, because this is achievable. This is hard, but generally speaking, the only way I can turn it around without an instant change in my current circumstance is to stop what I’m doing for a moment, detach from the situation causing this terrible mood, and recognize that these feelings are exactly that: just feelings.

I heard it said once that feelings are vibrations in the body. A simple vibration. It won’t bite, unless you do. Recognize it, accept it, and move forward with awareness. Even if being aware of the poor attitude doesn’t turn it around, being aware of it can be all I need to keep my head above water. Being aware of it can help me act outside of the bad mood rather than acting poorly because of it. I can tell myself “Huh, I guess I am in a bad mood, but I’m not going to let that bad mood dictate my behavior.” I can be angry, and respond gently to my son or have kind words to my husband. I can be anxious, and still eat healthy without stress eating. I can be sad, and still choose to smell the flowers.

At the end of the day, you hold the control to your own actions. Better actions lead to better you; better you will lead to a better mood; your better mood will make it easier for you to enjoy the little things. Take the actions needed to turn yourself from salty to sweet.

Comparison: Let's Talk About It

I love social media as much as the next gal, but can we be real for a minute? As encouraging and inspiring as it can be, it’s a slippery slope to unhealthy comparison. The aesthetic kitchens and clean houses make me ungrateful for my own unaesthetic and very “lived in” house. Sometimes, instead of inspiring me to take a hiking trip, I see the mountaintop sunset reels and get jealous that I am spending my sunset hour wrestling an overtired kid into pjs.

I’m not saying we quit social media, but I am suggesting that we pay attention to our thoughts when we use it. Is it inspiring us? Is it motivating us? Is it making us excited to play with our kids, see our husbands, enjoy our hobbies? Or is it causing us to be filled with discontent, jealousy, and ungratefulness? All of which will lead you astray from enjoying the life we have right here right now.

I love my kitchen- creaky cabinets and all. I love my house and the things in it. I love my kids and our bedtime routine. Our lives are easier to love when we aren’t constantly comparing it to the picture-perfect version of someone else’s. Let’s appreciate what we’ve got without the comparison.

Cultivate a Heart of Gratefulness

Look up. Physically, right now, look up from your phone/computer/laptop, and find 3 things you are grateful for in the room. These things can be big or small. Family? Coffee? Comfortable room temperature or your favorite chair that you’re sitting in? Your amazing body? That pen that writes better than the rest?

Whatever they are, you just practiced gratefulness. You just took a moment to notice everyday things, and appreciate them. Incredible. What a wonderful 30 seconds of your life you just had right there. Seriously. It only takes seconds to smell the flowers, and those couple of seconds were good ones. Life keeps happening, whether you appreciate it or not.

Practicing gratitude, whether through journaling, picking something each day to be grateful for, talking about the best part of everyday with your spouse, etc., will enable you to make enjoying all the little things come more and more natural. Get good at seeing the good; cultivate a grateful heart.

Put Yourself in a Position to Enjoy Life

In other words, take care of yourself. If my tummy hurts from eating too much sugar, I’m less likely to enjoy food. If I say yes to all the things and allow myself to get too busy or overwhelmed, I’m not going to enjoy the things I committed to. If I have not showered for 3 days and feel icky, I’m not going to enjoy myself. You get it.

It’s really amazing how much impact we have on our own lives. Life doesn’t just happen to us. Working out, being kind, eating well, socializing, deepening our faith, and keeping our house tidy, are all things that put us in a better position to enjoy life. Those are just a few of the many ways to take care of ourselves physically, mentally, socially, spiritually, etc. The little things matter; make the most of the little things by putting yourself in a position to enjoy life.

A Cheerful Heart is Good Medicine

Stop and smell the flowers. Life goes on, and the truth is you will always be busy, there are endless possibilities and opportunities in this short life. Allow yourself to dwell on the good things. Open your eyes to see the wonderful things all around you. Be present in what you are doing from the simple mundane tasks to the exciting life events. Kick that salty mood in the butt. Watch out for unhealthy comparison. Practice gratefulness. Put yourself in a position to fully enjoy your life. You don’t have to miss out on enjoying the beautiful things life has for you. Breathe it in, enjoy the sweetness, and experience the joy in all the little things.

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I hope this helps make your life a little sweeter as you continue on your days being the amazing woman you are.

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Comment those 3 things you are grateful for in the comments!