I’m chilling in a hotel room at Ten thousand Waves near Santa Fe, NM and a thought suddenly pinged into my head. Most of the great things in life that bring me happiness are extraordinarily simple. Although I battled and conquered a migraine this evening, today has been a wonderful example of how simple, beautiful things can make a huge difference in establishing a happy, healthy life.
So, if you’d like to pass this along, here are some simple things that brought me joy today.
1. Reading a Physical Book in a quiet space– I don’t get to do this very often. I’m so busy with school and my licensure that I barely have time to listen to books let alone sit down and read in silence. I actually finished Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater in less than three hours and it was definitely worth it.
2. Taking a long shower in a beautiful bathroom-Hot water is an issue in most homes, including mine. I enjoyed sitting for a LOOOONG time under the shower and relaxing without having to worry about money or time.
3. Soaking in a hot tub alone– I don’t like swimming pools. However, I love using hot tubs alone. It is extraordinarily therapeutic for me.
4. Taking walks outside in a forest– I used to live in Cloudcroft, NM and I went on walks on mountain trails almost every day. I miss nature and love coming to places where I’m surrounded by different types of trees. I especially love aspen trees.
5. Eating delicious cake– I have this lovely French bakery I love to go to in Santa Fe called the French Pastry Shop and Crepery because their sweets aren’t stuffed with excess amounts of sugar. Since sugar usually hates me, this is perfect!
6. Collecting tree sap– This is an odd little habit I picked up after reading about forest bathing. I like using tree sap as incense in my room when I can’t go into the forest for a while. I love collecting different types of sap to use and being in the mountains is a prime time for me to do this.
7. Taking the train and a bus instead of driving– I HATE driving to Santa Fe. The last trip I took up here I nearly keeled over from the anxiety wondering if my car would make it up and down all the hills. So, I decided to take the train and a bus instead. That was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
8. Having time to talk to my brother Marty and see him relax– My brother has had an extremely rough time so it is nice to see him unwind, enjoy good food, and sleep fitfully without any worries. Plus, I get to spend the weekend with him so that is another win for me!
9. Staying in a simple yet elegant hotel room– I was able to get a room really easily on short notice and I love staying here. It is very relaxing and I don’t mind it being smaller than normal. The little porch outside is also very nice.
10. Watching the workers on the train– It was a joy to watch the workers on the train today. Although it was 6:30 AM, they still took pride in what they did and went out of their way to be kind and happy to all the passengers who came on the train. That was a much-needed breath of fresh air for me.
I hope whoever reads this also had a wonderful day with many simple, beautiful occurrences that popped up. If not, I wish you the best of nights and days in the future. I’ve learned life is too short to dwell too long on migraines and sorrows. So, it is good to reflect every once in a while on the wonderful things in our lives.
From the Perspective of an Old Soul 