It's fall y'all or you guys (that is for my Ohio friends and family). Summer has come and gone, and it was certainly different this year. I hope that everyone is overcoming their trials and tribulations during this time with hope, patience, love and peace in your hearts. Of course I have had my down days. Wondering if my business would survive or if I should close my doors to my brick and mortar for good. And I pause and reflect and think I am so grateful. I am so grateful to do what I do. And I was sending hugs like crazy during the midst of COVID-19. The messages for the notecards had so much love and support. Exactly what I love to send hugs for! I have this purpose and that keeps me going. And during slow times, I was learning new business methods - listening to a lot of podcasts, creating and working on bettering myself and practicing beautiful ways to handle stress, anxiety, fear, etc. - all of those ugly emotions that get you in a funk. I also thought a lot about the restructure of my brick and mortar, which led me to new amazing artisan and friends. My shop has so many new artisan goods and still growing. We came together and are helping each other keep moving forward amidst any struggles. I thank God everyday and pray for what I can do to better myself and what I can do for others. When I don't reach out to Him, I feel that funk. Here are some things I love to do when I am having a rough day, as I am sure a lot of you already do.
Do you remember the phrase, Stop and smell the roses? It's a very old idiom meaning to relax; to take time out of one's busy schedule to enjoy or appreciate the beauty of life. The quote, "Stop and smell the roses," is often attributed to golfer Walter Hagen in the 1956 book "The Walter Hagen Story" but he didn't mention roses. It's also related to "You're only here for a short visit. Don't hurry. Don't worry. Well, there aren't always 'roses' but there are plenty of other elements to put in their place:
1. Meditate, take some deep breaths and pray first thing in the morning. Give yourself these 10 minutes. You deserve it. It often ends in good tears. A release.
2. Pet or play with your dog (cat). I am a furr mama and Lucy is my therapy dog. She gives unconditional love everyday and only wants you to throw the ball, feed her, love on her. That's all. The little things. PS: I had cats all my life, but I'm allergic now, but I know the kitties are purrrfect pals too.
3. Do something good for someone else. This is especially important when you get lost in a world of superficial and self-pity. A little do good thing everyday makes a difference.
4. Stretch, do yoga, go for a walk. Oh my when I get off track with this, my body tells me with aches and pains. Take 30 minutes. Your body and mind will thank you and you will be less cranky. I sit at the computer a lot and still need a reminder to get up and stretch.
5. Call a friend. Don't text. Don't email. Call them and hear their voice. I need to do this more. I was never a phone person, but when you don't see your friends as much as you like, hearing their voice is music to your ears and you never know... they may be needing you.
6. Purge. Oh my goodness, this is the best feeling. I don't like waste. And I love simplicity, but somehow things accumulate. I have been going through bins of memories, saved items, clothes, etc. and I have either donated, recycled, mailed something old to a friend for a smile (old letters to be exact), cut up old greeting cards and use them for gift tags, and put lots of old paper stuff through the shredder and use for packing. It's all just going to hangout in a bin for many years to come. I'm actually creating some mixed media paintings with old letters, business cards - then it will be on my wall or someone else's wall!
7. Journal. Getting all of those jumbled thoughts out of your head is such a release. Write it down, and if you have to tear it up afterwards - do it! Get those nasty negative thoughts out. We don't need that emptied out on social feeds.
8. Create something. I love to paint and think of new designs for products. I don't get to do these often because I am always doing something for the business, but hoping to focus more on this!
9. Get in nature. Nature is God's gift to us. Be still. Be quiet. Feel the wind or the rain or the sunshine.
10. Sleep. I wish I could nap more! Little hard to do at the shop. But I try to get 8-9 hours of sleep every night. That means going to bed early for me. Turn that T.V. and phone off.
11. Laugh. Oh my, laughter is the best medicine. I don't laugh as much as I did when I was younger. I guess adults have to be more serious. But man, maybe we need to be kids more often. My husband reminds me to laugh more often by default. :)
12. Dance or sing. I almost forgot this! I wanted to be a professional dancer, actress, singer. HA. Well that didn't happen, not professionally anyway. These days, when I get the house to myself I turn on my fav music and dance my heart away! I feel 20 or 30 again. It's exercise for your heart and soul.
Image: Created with acrylic on wood, my artist friend Heather Berholt. She creates happy art and resonates with "Stop and smell the roses" everyday. She is one of my artisans in the Hug Box shop and her beautiful creations are also in some Hug Box themes online.
