I love the idea of  romanticizing life. I especially love the idea when life is feeling especially hard. When you are in a season where you just feel like you can never win no matter how you try. Or when you’re living in a reality that you want to change but for whatever reason are not able or ready to yet.

Our minds are powerful but also can be our enemy.  Intrusive thoughts , worries, pain, sadness and  anger… they can brew under the service threatening the very life they belong to.

I have been in a season now where survival feels more like the goal than actually thriving. That is not a failure its just reality. Not every season is about winning.

Here is my practical advice, as someone who is still riding the waves of survival… to make days even just a little better… and it is a very simple… one piece of advise…with plenty of real life examples… examples that I actually do, that help ground me in even the hardest moments.

Notice the joys in every day tasks and moments, if you look you can find even just one thing to hold onto.

Notice the bubbles on your dishes while washing them. Use your favorite dish soap and enjoy the scent.

Grab the towels or blankets as soon as they finish in the dryer and hold them to your chest. Breathe in the scent of freshly washed laundry.

If you can buy your favorite shampoo and conditioner.. my current is the rose 🌹 herbal essences. Enjoy the scent. Take a moment to feel the warm water on your skin. Breathe. Take a minute and remind yourself that you are here in this moment. Everything else will still be waiting so take a moment to breathe.

If you have children and drive them to school try to get to the pick up line a little early. Sit, notice the sky, the air. Bonus points if you bring your favorite coffee or tea or whatever you like (assuming it’s car line appropriate 😉)

Notice the way the sun hits the trees and lights up its leaves. Appreciate the wonder that is that all life is sustainable because of our magnificent sun.

Go outside. Turn off all the sound for a moment. Listen. What do you hear? Traffic, children playing a dog barking? Maybe a bird singing. Stop for a few and just be present in the world you live in.

Cook a meal at home. Look at all the ingredients and thank God for everyone of them. Take another moment to realize everything you cook and eat will be fueling your amazing body and your families or friends if you are cooking for anyone besides yourself. How incredible is that?

Stop researching for a bit. Whatever you’re going through chances are you have spent a great deal of time on the internet learning all there is to know. Stop. Even for a few days. Let your system take a break from all this information.  Trust yourself that in this moment you are doing what you can. Information overload helps no one.

Find your comforts. Make them moments that anchor you daily.  Do as many of them as you can. Fill your soul with delight.

Do whatever you can to keep the light burning.

My closing thought is both a tip but also could be considered a bonus piece of advice. Not every season of life is about growth.  It is perfectly ok in some seasons to not be achieving goals, making progress, chasing dreams or whatever the trendy saying is at the moment.  Sometimes it is ok and good to just be. Even the most beautiful plants will go dormant in the winter. The reason is beautiful.  It protects them from freezing and most importantly conserves their energy.  Some seasons only serve as conservation, which eventually lead to beautiful flowers once Spring comes back again.,