Reclaiming Simple Pleasures
31 Friday Oct 2014
Written by Michelle in Better Behaviour, Thoughts on everything
My life is abuzz with energy…and it’s not good.
It’s election season and people are fervent with the passion of their ideologies. The media is trying to capitalize by sensationalizing every. Little. Thing. We should be afraid of Ebola, terrorists, politicians (that goes without saying) and apparently, one another. It’s getting thick and deep out there.
Well, I’m still running on the prehistoric operating system installed by Mother Nature – “Fight or Flight 1.0.” I’m not equipped to deal with “Media BS Blocker 5.75″ or “Frightened Citizen 10.9.” I’m just ME, trying to get through my life and desperately grasping for shreds of peace and harmony, so I can get a little tethered.
I know I’m not alone. We all pretty much have the same operating system, except for Einstein and that Hawking character; he’s pretty much a Demi-God. So, I’m trying this experiment – taking a social media respite and focusing on my business goals, without social media, working in my studio and banging out a little ditty for y’all to read. I’m taking this break because I have an inkling the current way of the world zaps joy and can make us SICK!
I’m creating “place holders.” Positive, meditative things to do so I don’t go drooling to the Internet like a Pavlovian Zombie (click to Tweet). The place holders include the following:
- Positive visual images
- Soothing and upbeat music
- The good ol’ “To Do” list
- A blog that reminds me to check myself
- And lots and lots of painting…because that’s where my focus should be right now.
….should be pretty low key.
I’m taking a break – (Exit stage left. Curtain. Act II)
After refraining from “worldly stimulation” I discovered I haven’t been living in the moment. I’ve been focused on the future…which I have little control over beyond my own goals and planning. Do you ever do that? Find yourself ruminating in negative news and “what ifs,” playing into the hands of the evil news media and political players? I was a pawn…but now…CHECKMATE!
These “worldly crises,” may or may not be manufactured. They’re events out of our control which drain my energy and joy. In 
addition to the make-believe stuff, there are some truly unpleasant things to deal with in life. We all have them. For me, right now, I have some friends who have health challenges and several who have lost close relatives in the past few weeks. Real life.
Given my intention to plant my feet firmly in the “now,” and still deal with real life, I cannot entertain all the chatter…my operating system will not support the file size and I’ll crash. What’s a girl to do? This girl discovered music is a pleasant substitute while in the car…or better yet, silence. I got a massage from my “You don’t have to die to rest in peace” therapist…divine. I walked my dogs in a beautiful, wooded area on a fine fall day…fun. When not taking a break I painted in my studio…productive. I became less reactive and more present. We know it’s the simple pleasures that bring joy to our lives. We all are aware of the importance of living mindfully, but sometimes we forget. It occurred to me:
Those small, simple pleasures life blesses us with are what we call ‘living.'[Tweet “”Those small, simple pleasures life blesses us with are what we call ‘living.'””]
So if your world starts spinning, and you feel it’s all too much (are these song lyrics? Seems like they’re song lyrics), just take a few moments to tether yourself, to the sweet, “nowness” of mindfulness. Enjoy the simple pleasures…it’s nutrition for the soul.
CHECKMATE! I’m a Queen!
Michelle Andres is a writer, artist and coach who nudges, nay, shoves, her clients in the direction of their dreams, helping them to overcome non-productive behaviours and enjoy more success in
their lives.
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7 Comments
October 31, 2014 at 11:48 am
Funny, I have been thinking about a social media detox for a while now. It takes a lot of willpower! I have come to realize that the constant influx of all the things that others are doing, can make one feel dissatisfied with one’s own life.
I do try to use these avenues to promote my art, so feel a total shut down could be counterproductive. At the same time, less Facebook means more time for painting. Wondering if I could stick to a schedule of checking it twice a day, ONLY??
October 31, 2014 at 9:16 pm
Yes, Susan…it’s a double edged sword. Truly, I only did a complete avoidance for a couple days, but immediately saw/felt the benefit. It wasn’t just social media, but pretty much all news media and those annoying political phone calls. I think twice a day would be a good start. It’s really hard, because we get in habits of checking our computers throughout the day. I think the substitutes, like music, walks, pre-set things to do, help us get away from the habitual checking. I did find I was much happier and more productive. I intend to continue limiting my social media and news and using my “To-Do” list as the holy grail of how to spend the day. If you want to read about creating new habits, I wrote about that here. Good habits take maintenance and we all slip on occasion. Let me know how it goes. Best of luck! ~m
November 1, 2014 at 1:30 am
Let us all send peaceful energy out into the world via thoughts, words and painting. I vacationed from facebook years ago and found it liberating.
November 1, 2014 at 3:13 am
I found it somewhat liberating, too, Rosemary. I use it for business, and I must admit, I like the community there (most of the time). I think setting personal use boundaries is a good idea for everyone. Yes, let’s all send peaceful energy out into the world…that would be a great change! Thank you for your comments. ~m
November 1, 2014 at 3:16 am
Stop resenting and judging. Observe things without emotions and without responding. Observe in stillness.
November 1, 2014 at 3:18 am
Stop resenting and judging. Observe with no emotion. Observe in stillness.
November 1, 2014 at 4:12 am
Great advice for mindfulness meditation, David!