Creating Space + Little Everyday Joys
I’ve been flying a bit under the radar for the past couple of months. Navigating the busyness and noise of the holiday season and some family things going on wore me out. I decided to intentionally take a few steps back from everything for a few months to reflect on things- creatively, spiritually, relationally, etc. I just wanted space from it all. I’ve taken a break from social media since December and that was a huge blessing. You’d be shocked to realize how much noise that creates in our lives. Here are a few things I’ve learned (and am continuing to learn) during this season of quietness:
Not on January 1, but when January ends, that’s where the real rubber hits the road with the areas we told ourselves we’d be better at. If we truly want to change or improve habits, that’s going to take more than purchasing a gym membership. Self-improvement takes new eyes and a whole lot of determination.
Social media doesn’t deserve the grip that most of us allow it to have on our lives. Life without social media has given me the ability to see the little blessings God sends my way and to call them what they are, rather than disregarding them as “not enough” compared to what someone else has.
Learn to celebrate small victories. As I looked back over 2017, I made a list of some accomplishments. I realized that big or small, each of these things are baby steps, progress, and each something to smile about. Let’s cherish the little things and stop being so hard on ourselves.
painted my first commissioned mural
bought a car
got my nose pierced
built a kitchen table
opened an etsy shop
Self-care looks like finding the commonalities in my favorite memories from the year- reminding myself of what makes my heart beat and the things that fill my cup. It’s no surprise that music and creating things are a very large part of that. Pouring energy into creating things for other people gives me so much joy. John Ortberg once said, “Every life needs a cheering section.” In a somewhat atypical fashion, my version of cheering for people is sharing music with them. So with that, I have some goodies for you crazy souls that have read this far down:
A lot of times when I need new music to listen to, I’ll find a video on youtube and then listen to playlist of that song. Today I discovered some gems I thought I’d pass along to you. I added them all to YouTube playlist, fittingly named here.
I updated the Boombox playlist. I realized it’d been a while since I’d done that, so I had quite a few new favorites stashed away. You can listen to that here.
Lastly, I stumbled upon a quote by one of my favorite authors, Beau Taplin. I want to scribble these words all over my walls to remind myself daily of these truths:
I’m beginning to recognize that real happiness isn’t something large and looming on the horizon ahead but something small, numerous and already here. The smile of someone you love. A decent breakfast. The warm sunset. Your little everyday joys all lined up in a row.
Always in your corner (and most likely playing a mix of mellow-synth-pop tunes to remind you to take yourself less seriously),
Hales
