As women we experience a lot in our lives. We tend to take on a lot more than we need to sometimes. When was the last time you "stopped to smell the roses" as they say? I would bet your answer would be that you don't know. There tends to be this notion that unless you're busy all the time you aren't a productive member of society. I think this is the most harmful bit of talk out there. What do you think people wish the most when they reach their end of life journey? I would guarantee you wouldn't hear someone say I wish I would have worked more, or I wish I wouldn't have spent that time with my family and loved ones. Instead you would hear I wish I would have taken that vacation, I wish I would have called my best friend or loved ones more, things like that. But the sad reality is that we all make the choices. Everything you do is a choice. Not having time is the excuse. The truth that people can't seem to swallow sometimes is that you choose to do the thing that is the most important to you, whether it's calling your mom on the way home from work vs listening to the radio. We can use the excuse we don't have time but that's all it is is an excuse.
If you are finding that you resonate with the person above, you are not fully present in your life. You are existing and everything else is flying by you. Let me tell you, the things that are flying by you are beautiful, and often times things that you can never get back. Your connections with friends and family can become damaged. Let's stop this cycle and actually live and not just exist.
See this picture? What do you think of when you see the beach? Can you see yourself sitting there smelling the salt air and hearing the waves crashing and the seagulls flying? Do you know why so many people feel at peace here? It's because they are actually living in the moment. Seeing, hearing, smelling all the things around them. You are completely present in what is going on at that moment and it's such a good feeling. This feeling can happen everyday, not just when you are on vacation.
If you are in your late 40's or older like me, you know what life was like before all this technology. Now cell phones have become an addiction. Do you remember when you were out doing something, or spending time with friends you actually engaged and lived in the moment, not like today. I'd like to challenge you. The next time you are spending time with friends, or out doing something you like, keep the phone in your purse. Don't look at it. Even if you hear a text message. It can wait. If something is urgent they will call and when you don't answer they will call back immediately. Try to get in that habit, because after all you lived life just fine without it before.
It's another problem that we have that leaves us disconnected to life, people, emotions, and experiences and you probably don't even realize it. Why don't we instead enjoy the company of the people we are with, enjoy the activity we are doing at that moment. Think about the emotional connections you are losing with others when you are more involved with a cell phone than their company. People tend to use their phones as an escape from reality. But the truth is that escape from reality is meaningless. It's not cultivating anything that brings us happiness.
Every year a group of good friends and myself go for a beach vacation. It's over 10 years now. When I think back on other years, I remember long talks, drinks, laughing, playing games, and connecting with each other with stories and problems we talked about. That has changed in the last few years. When I think back on recent years the thing that sticks in my head the most is actually the amount of time spent not talking, not connecting much, not living in those moments because every single person has their face in their phones for most of the trip. I'm the one sitting there without one most of the time. It makes me sad to think that human interaction that is meaningful even with our own friends is not important to people anymore. These are the things I want to change, and gave me the idea for my business.
I want to cultivate a change, a change for the better. Let's connect again. With people, with nature, with time, with moments, memories, family, friends, and all the things that really matter in our lives. If you want to learn more about how to do these things, join our email list. We will be breaking down these topics and we will teach you how to live again, how to enjoy the little things and the simple joys. The meaning behind our subscription box is so important to me. Every month I want people to feel that connection again, even in something so simple.
At Simple Joy Box our goal is to help people reconnect with what matters most in life and to find joy in the everyday. Each month we curate an experience that helps you de-stress, slow down, and appreciate the simple things in life. Even the most ordinary moments can be transformed into something special with the right mindset and a few thoughtful touches. We make the ordinary extraordinary!