We just delivered a custom kimono for a client who loves the artist Georgia O’Keeffe! In keeping with our philosophy of wearing something beautiful everyday, our client asked that we make a kimono inspired by her favorite Georgia O’Keeffe painting. We sent her fabric samples that were similar in color and form. She provided her measurements and we designed her kimono! It was challenging to get all the fabric and details right during a COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, we are now offering virtual custom kimono consultations on ZOOM! Once we get a custom request for a kimono we will send a Zoom meeting link and you will meet directly with the kimono makers! Our client loves her new kimono and because of the ‘Stay at Home’ mandate, she is able to wear her kimono more than she ever expected. Imagine lounging in a wearable work of art!
Blue and Green Music
Pink and Blue Music II
The Georgia O’Keeffe Paintings that were the inspiration for the custom kimono fabric.
It’s very strange, but the mere act of writing anything is a help .
Katherine Mansfield
As long as there has been something to write on, humans have been keeping journals. You could even say that the earliest cave drawings were journals—capturing the events of a hunt, drawing pictographs that related stories, creating images of the sacred.
Ajournal is a way of recording and
reflecting on your inner life. It is a way of expressing yourself freely,
trying out outrageous ideas, tapping into inner wisdom, clarifying thoughts and
feelings, recording your dreams, venting emotions, tracking your personal
growth, and delighting in unexpected “Ahas”!
A
journal is a safe haven, a non-judgmental friend and a trusted confidante.
Journal writing is good for our health; it relieves stress, can help boost our
immune system, and improve our feeling of well-being.
There’s
no right or wrong way to keep a journal. You don’t need expensive equipment.
The tools are a notebook—whether a special blank book, a composition book from
your local drugstore, or loose-leaf pages—and a pen you enjoy. You can use a
computer, but writing by hand is more physical; it keeps you in touch with your
breath and your heartbeat.
The
only rule about journaling is “Allow!”
Guidelines for Journaling
Write
as regularly as you can—at the same time of day, if you can. It is not necessary to write every day,
but the more frequently you journal, the easier it will become and more
productive you’ll be. If you can set aside twenty minutes or a half-hour every
morning or evening, or during lunch break, and simply begin writing, you’ll be
amazed at what you’ll discover.
The morning is an especially good time to write: your mind is
fresh; your dreams are still alive. Practice writing your dreams down whenever
you can. Writing in the morning is a
good way to start your day and helps you to focus.
Keep your hand moving. Write quickly and
freely. Don’t stop to edit or re-read what you’ve written until you’ve
completed the session. If you get stuck, write, “I don’t know what to write,”
or “I’m stuck.” Repeat the same phrase or sentence, if necessary, until
something else comes. Writing from wherever you are will move you to the next
place.
Don’t worry about
spelling, punctuation or grammar. Don’t worry about it being “good,” or
“right.” There’s simply no wrong way to do it.
Go deep. Writing about what
matters the most to you will give the most benefit. The act of writing about
complex issues can help you to see a path through or beyond the surface and get
to the core.
Leave
your censor outside the door. This is free
writing. Simply allow the words to come
and let yourself be surprised. In the
words of Julia Cameron, author of The Artists’ Way, “The creative process is a process of surrender, not
control.” Have fun!
Suggestions for Getting Started
A pen you like to write with.Pick a pen that is a pleasure to write
with. A roller ball pen is my favorite,
smooth and flowing. It sounds simple but
try out some different pens at the craft store or office supply and find a pen
that you really enjoy writing with.
Begin
with a few chosen words.
“Today I…,” “I feel…,” “I want…,” “I
don’t know…” or “I remember….” Just follow your pen. It
won’t take you further than you want to go. One of my favorite prompts is “What
if”…
Favorite
Quotes. When I find quotes
that I like I write them in my journal.
Some journals actually include quotes on some of their pages. Quotes are good for writing prompts, allowing
you a starting point for a personal mission statement or philosophical journal
entry.
Be
imaginative. Write as if you are describing the world to
someone that is blind or deaf. Describe the weather, your room, or the sounds
you hear. Let it lead you somewhere. Remember this is a no judgement zone.
Explore the positive
along with the negative. Celebrate yourself and your life as well as venting your
emotions. Venting your emotions on paper
is a good way to purge your feelings and not let them build up to toxic levels.
Date your entry. This will keep you
grounded in the present and help you reference entries you may want to find
later. It is as if you are recording
your history and by putting the date you can recall all the things that
happened.
Journaling as a Creative Tool
A
journal is a great place to track ideas.
Our minds are constantly thinking and making connections. Ideas can be fleeting and a journal is a good
place to capture them.
Sketches:
You may not believe yourself to be an artist
but practice making sketches to go with your journal entries. Maybe a sketch of
your ideal personal studio, or library could be included in your journal.
Photos:
Now that we carry a camera with us every day
in the form of a cell phone, why not include a photo? I often take photos of patterns or fabric
that I like. I include them in my ‘idea
journal’ so that I can go back to them when I have a project that needs
something similar.
Journaling
teaches us to both trust and nourish our inner lives. It is a personal account of who we are
without the judgement of others. A
journal is rewarding and insightful discovery of your true self.
Watch for our next article on Art Journaling and Travel Journaling.
Do you feel like this: too much to do, too many places to be, too little time to do it all?
On the job, in school, at home, even in retirement, we are increasingly imprisoned by the perception that time is a scarce and limited resource. We rush from one commitment or activity to another and believe that we haven’t a minute to spare. We yearn for more time, yet we often feel anxious and guilty when idle.
Until we change our relationship to time, our lives will continue to speed away from us—at enormous cost to our health and to direct experience of ourselves and the world around us. “There is no issue, no aspect of human life, that exceeds this in importance,” says Jacob Needleman, author of Time and the Soul. “The destruction of time is literally the destruction of life.”
When we learn to shift time, our relationships become more rewarding, our time spent alone is richer, our aging is more satisfying, our work is more fruitful and our stress and anxiety are less paralyzing, or even nonexistent. To allow time to “breathe” more in your life, try some or all of the following suggestions from Stephan Rechtschaffen, author of Timeshifting, as well as others. See if your reservoir of time starts to refill.
Pause. Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Han suggests taking a deep breath before answering the phone. Other conscious pauses throughout the day—a moment of silence before each meal, sitting in the car a few minutes before entering the house after work—help us to “come home” to ourselves.
Carve out idle time alone. Greek philosopher Aristotle noted that “nature requires us not only to be able to work well but also to idle well.” Just because you’re not doing anything doesn’t mean that nothing’s getting done! Don’t be tempted to “fill” every moment with a task. When you find a moment try concentrating on taking deep breaths to let go of the anxiety of being ‘idle’.
Live as fully as possible in the present moment. When we leave behind thoughts of the past or future, we can experience time more peacefully, says Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now. Release the past and surrender that you cannot know the future, but you can live in the present.
Toss your schedule whenever you can. Even better, schedule spontaneous time and then surprise yourself. Have you driven by a park on the way to or from work? Why not stop and take a stroll around it?
Examine underlying reasons for your busyness. What emotions would you experience if you weren’t so busy? What emotions are you trying to run from? Emotional work is challenging but essential if we are to stop running from our hearts.
Play. Whether you sing, play the ukulele, paint, shake your bootie—whatever—play helps us to step outside of ordinary time. Try something you always wanted to do, play an instrument, buy a dance video and dance just for fun!
Create time retreats. Once a year or so, choose to do something for a week or more that allows you to shift into a different rhythm—something where you can just “be” without the need for doing anything. Don’t be that person that won’t take their vacation time, saving it until they were forced to use it as if it were a punishment. If you can’t take a week, try an art class, a museum visit, a lecture at the local university something that can expand your horizons and give you a new perspective.
Spend time in nature. We can’t help but slow down in nature’s unhurried pace. Watching a soaring bird or admiring a flower garden can seem to stretch a minute into an hour. Try carrying a sketchbook and take a few moments to sketch outdoors.
We can learn to experience time more purposefully and meaningfully—so that it’s not an enemy robbing us of the joy of life. We needn’t be at time’s mercy. When we change our awareness, we can actually experience the gifts of time.
If you enjoy the feeling of going to a spa but don’t have time or the money, why not make a ‘spa experience’ at home? I have a few easy suggestions that make a spa experience at home. I thought about my spa experiences and discovered a few things I could do at home.
First,Schedule It!
Check your schedule and block out a time when you can devote an hour or more to pampering. When you book an appointment at a spa you have to schedule the time and drive to the location. Treat your at home spa experience as an appointment, schedule it!
2. Gather all your ‘Spa Luxuries’ in advance
Have a box or spot in the linen closet to store all you ‘spa items’ away from the everyday bathroom items. When it comes time for your ‘appointment’ you won’t spend time searching for them. When you pull out that spa bundle you will know its time for some pampering!
3. Spa Luxury – A Beautiful, All cotton, Spa Robe
As you are preparing for your experience and afterward, you will want a spa robe that is 100% cotton and beautiful too. The robe will make you feel beautiful and be comfortable for relaxing after your spa experience. At 3 Graces Design Studio we make kimono style spa robes that would be perfect for your spa experience but practical enough to wear everyday because our 100% cotton robes are machine washable. A luxury that you will enjoy for years.
4. Spa Luxury- A Handmade Soap or ‘Bath Bomb’
Find a nice handmade soap that has a wonderful scent and makes you feel like you’re in a spa. If your bath space is shared, you could keep it in your spa box just for you! Pick a soap that is natural without preservatives or additives. You want to make the experience healthful and nourishing to your skin. We feature Diamond Bird Soaps with our kimono style spa robes for their pure and simple ingredients. Add one to your kimono order under Spa Experience.
A plush bath towel will add to the spa feeling.
5. Spa Luxury- A plush bath towel
One of the things I have always found appealing about spa experiences is the towels! Thick and soft, the towels make it feel special. I realized the towels I was using, were old, I had them for years and although they were good quality, they lost their plush feel. I bought a bath sheet, a larger towel, in a plush almost velvet feel. This is my special spa towel. You only need the ‘one special’ spa towel, so splurge and get one that feels like a luxury.
These are just a few of the simple things that you can do to create a Spa Experience at Home. Of course you can add decorative touches like candles or rose petals to step up the spa feeling a notch. But these 5 suggestions will give you a starting point toward enjoying a spa experience without leaving home.
Sheila, Creative Grace at 3 Graces Design Studio.com
Hand-crafted soaps made with high quality plant based oils, herbs and botanical ingredients.
Clean living, its more than a catch phrase, its the entire purpose of Diamond Bird, LLC handcrafted soaps. I recently sat down with Tanisha Bruns, owner and maker of Diamond Bird soaps. We talked about caring for the most important and visible part of your body, your skin. 3 Graces Design Studio is offering Diamond Bird soaps in our Kimono Spa Robe gift bundles and I wanted to learn more about the woman behind these handcrafted soaps
A ‘Rash’ of Discoveries
I asked Tanisha, “Why did you start making your handcrafted soap?” She explained that she had been loyal to a well known brand of commercially made soap but began to notice that her skin was dry, itchy and not healthy. She decided to look at the package to see what was actually in her favorite brand. What she read was a list of ingredients that she couldn’t pronounce, all kinds of chemical additives and preservatives. As a former Army nurse she understood that the soap was not helping her skin and that these products could be harming her. She decided that she needed to learn about soap making and was determined to make high quality soaps from plant-based oils, herbs and free from harmful chemicals and preservatives.
Military Service and Core Values
Tanisha explained that the leadership values of integrity and education that she followed during her military career are core concepts she incorporates into her handcrafted soap business. First and foremost, Tanisha is service oriented. She incorporates customer input on developing new product lines and scents. She is honest about the ingredients in her product. Tanisha prides herself on having 16 or less ingredients in her soaps. She has an Artisan product line that is fragrance soap with micas or lab created coloring, an All Natural line with only essential oil scents and clay or vegetable powder coloring. She also recently added a Vegan line the has no dairy products, honey or Tussah, a type of silk additive. She enjoys educating customers on what ingredients are good for skin and all her ingredients are there to serve a beneficial purpose. Diamond Bird’s products are the highest quality and her customer service values make her product an obvious choice for 3 Graces Design Studio to incorporate into our Spa Bundles.
We are proud to offer Diamond Bird handcrafted soaps in our new Kimono Spa Robe gift bundles. The addition of Diamond Bird to our kimono robes supports another small handcrafted business and provides our customers with a total spa package to make you feel beautiful!
We love making custom kimonos for our VIP’s! When we make a custom kimono we are just as excited about it as our clients! Check out our recent custom kimonos!
While most women’s clothing designer’s sizes top out at a size 12 and the average size for an American woman is a size 16 or larger, there is a need for a fashion reality check. The fashion designers are failing a large percentage of women. Is there hope for the plus size clothes shopper that wants something beautifully designed in their size?
Finding Your Fit
I have been in that uncomfortable position of not finding anything that fits my needs. I needed a robe to wear after swimming at a posh sports club. I am an older lady, I need something modest but stylish. It didn’t exist. All I could find in my size were in polyester fabric and the robes in cotton that were my size looked like a housecoat my grandmother would have worn: wallpaper-like prints and a zipper up the front. I know that the aggravation is real for all women of a certain size and to some extent, a certain age. This was not my first time being frustrated at not being able to find something that was stylish for a plus size.
I know that I am not the only one to feel the burn of embarrassment when I go shopping and can’t find something to fit. The question is, if the average American woman is plus size why do fashion designers ignore the plus size demographic?
Tim Gunn, fashion guru wrote in a Washington Post Article on the fashion industry’s failure to make clothes that fit American women.
“This is a design failure and not a customer issue. There is no reason larger women can’t look just as fabulous as all other women. The key is the harmonious balance of silhouette, proportion and fit, regardless of size or shape. Designs need to be re-conceived, not just sized up; it’s a matter of adjusting proportions. The textile changes, every seam changes. Done right, our clothing can create an optical illusion that helps us look taller and slimmer. Done wrong, and we look worse than if we were naked.”
While fashion designers continue to design for smaller sizes, entrepreneurs like my sisters and I have recognized that women of all sizes want to look their best. Our patterns are thoughtfully designed with larger sizes that are proportioned not just “sized up”. There is hope for the plus sized shopper thanks to some web innovation.
Online shopping stylists,
Online Plus Size Resale and A Good Tailor
Stitch Fix eliminates the search for clothing by sending you clothing options and allows you to ‘try before you buy’. The $20 styling fee is credited to your first purchase. This has a couple of benefits. After answering some questions to determine your size and style their stylist sends you options based on your responses. The selections are sent to you. You try on the items in your own home, eliminating any public embarrassment over the lack of clothes in your size or not finding anything you like. It’s a time saver and you can return any items you don’t want within 3 days in a prepaid shipper. If you prefer a budget option, the online consignment website, Resell XL offers designer labels in women’s sizes. However, this site doesn’t allow returns. Lastly, but most importantly, find a good tailor. Often a good tailor can alter an outfit to make it fit you. Tailors can work wonders but, cannot work miracles. A tailor can make better alterations if the item is a little too big rather than two sizes too small. Never underestimate the value of a good tailor.
There are more choices in plus size clothing. In addition to Lane Bryant, Torrid and Elloquii have expanded the plus size clothing market. There is hope for the plus sized shopper! We believe that when you wear something that fits you and looks beautiful it makes you feel beautiful.
Our Easy 5 Steps to a Custom Kimono Robe is a synthesis of a good tailor and proportional design. If you’re a hard to fit size we can work with you on tailoring a kimono robe to fit you!
Does every decision involve endless debates with the ‘committee’ inside your head?
Do you accept less than what you should because you’re afraid to speak up?
Do you have difficulty making emotional commitments to others?
Do you think if I don’t commit I can’t be disappointed or disappoint others?
Do you make up excuses that stop you from taking advantage of opportunities for self-improvement?
Does fear of disapproval keep you from doing what you’d really like to do?
A “yes” answer to these
questions indicates a reluctance to take risks, which may mean you tend to play
it safe and reject change.
Consider this: to
fulfill your potential, to discover your real self and live an authentic life,
you must take control, don’t let your fear of change keep you trapped in a
cage. The cage is the absence of change
and while it may appear to be security, it’s not personally rewarding if you
feel trapped. The only genuine security
lies in stepping out of your comfort zone and taking a risk on change.
Learn how I overcame physical pain and changed my life to follow my passion for creating beautiful kimono robes!
What could be riskier than diving out of an airplane or climbing a glacier-covered peak or accelerating a race car into a curve at the Indy 500? While these examples are pulse raising and risk filled, what about life decisions that we face almost daily? For me it was quitting a secure, well-paying job to start a business, 3 Graces Design Studio. For another person, it could be deciding to leave a marriage after 18 years or reporting that the company they work for is endangering the environment or people’s lives.
At first glance, psychological risks that summon us to put our personal values and beliefs on the line may ultimately feel more dangerous than those of physical challenges. Yet these fundamental challenges that we face time and again are the essential sources of growth as individuals. Each time we take a risk that contributes to our personal growth or enhances our self-esteem or enriches our lives, we make the choice to stretch ourselves, knowing there are no guarantees and chancing possible failure.
Growth-producing risks
generally fall into three categories.
Self-Improvement Risks
These are the risks you
take when you want to get ahead, learn something new or make a distant dream a
reality. You take on the venture with hopes of enriching your life. Maybe you
want to change careers, or take ukulele lessons, or learn a language. On one
side of the risk is the person you are and, on the other, the person you want
to become.
Commitment Risks
Commitment risks have
emotional stakes whether you pledge yourself to a person or a relationship or to
a cause, a career, or a value. Joseph Ilardo, author of Risk-Taking for Personal Growth, advises that if you avoid making
emotional commitments, you all but guarantee that personal emotional growth
will be stunted.
Self-Disclosure Risks
Communication risks fall
into the category of self-disclosure. Anytime you tell someone how you really
feel you’re taking the chance of self-disclosure. When you open up to others
and reveal who you really are, how you feel and what you want and need, you
make yourself vulnerable. It is impossible to be assertive without doing so.
All risks carry with them the possibility of failure. Often you have to surrender being in your ‘comfort zone’ before any real benefits are realized. Routines may have to change; the familiar may have to be released. What are the benefits then, why take a risk? Challenging yourself is the key to personal growth and development. It also allows you to let go of expectations or roles that don’t fit who you are or who you want to be. Tomorrow we will post a quiz for you to ask yourself some questions about your level of risk taking.
The Creative Graces from 3 Graces Design Studio recently visited the “Kimono Refashioned” exhibit at the Asian Museum in San Francisco. The exhibit inspired us to design a ‘streetwear’ kimono for a new product line. This tunic length kimono is short enough to wear over jeans or slacks.
Cass designs new patterns
A New Streetwear Kimono
Cassandra Carpenter is the pattern designer for 3 Graces Design Studio. When designing a new pattern, Cass uses her extensive costume library to look for elements she wants to incorporate into the design. This phase requires extensive research and sketching out of ideas. It may take several sketches to determine the best combination of design elements before deciding to make a ‘mock-up’ of the final sketch. Once this phase of the design is complete and the mock up is made changes to length, or sleeve cut will be made for a prototype pattern. In our next segment we will show photos of the prototypes and the design sketches. Be sure to subscribe to our blog to get the latest updates!
I come from a family of creative souls. My sisters and I started 3 Graces Design Studio based on the creative calling we share. We inherited our creative natures from out mother but, the evidence is in other family members as well; a heritage of quilters and painters, artists and film makers, actors, tinkers, thinkers and writers.
The old saying: “Jack-of-all-trades, master of none!” reveals
the bias against those who choose a varied work life rather than committing to
a unidirectional path. There was a time, however, when society admired such a
person. In fact, some of our greatest contributors have been talented in a
variety of areas.
Leonardo da Vinci, painter of
masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa, also designed and built bicycles, canals,
musical instruments and flying machines. Benjamin Franklin not only helped
draft the Declaration of Independence, he was also an inventor, statesman,
printer, scientist, author, and student of French culture and language. More
recently, Maya Angelou, best known as an author and poet, was also a successful
songwriter, journalist, actress, singer, dancer, civil rights worker and
professor. And she could speak eight languages!
Margaret Lobenstine, author of The Renaissance Soul–Life Design for People
with Too Many Passions to Pick Just One, identifies five signs to help
determine whether you are a “Renaissance Soul”:
• The ability to become excited
by many things at once, often accompanied by difficulty choosing
• A love of new challenges; once
challenges are mastered, you are easily bored
• A fear of being trapped in the
same career or activity for life
• A pattern of quick, sometimes
unsatisfying flings with many hobbies
• A successful career that has
left you bored or restless
There is Nothing Wrong with You
People who recognize themselves
in that description often feel that something is wrong with them, that they’re
not normal. They may be accused of an unwillingness to grow up. They may be
called irresponsible, a dilettante, or told they have Attention Deficit
Disorder.
If you fit the above criteria,
take heart. Support is available to help you embrace your strengths and stop
trying to fit into the mold of someone you are not. In fact, your traits make
you an ideal candidate for work that requires flexibility, adaptability to
change, and a broad skill base. Renaissance Souls are often ideal entrepreneurs
since they typically wear many hats in their own business. Public relations,
marketing, consulting and project management are other good choices. Because of
their multifaceted abilities, they may also adapt better in today’s shifting
financial climate and global economy. What’s more, their passionate nature and
curiosity are truly an asset in any arena!
How to Handle Your Passions
In her book Refuse to Choose: A Revolutionary Program for Doing Everything That You
Love, career counselor Barbara Sher provides dozens of tools for dealing
with a multiplicity of passions and also divides what she calls “Scanners” into
nine categories. The “Double Agent” is torn between two interests, while the
“Sybil” is drawn to so many things that she’s often unable to choose anything.
The “Serial Specialist” and “Serial Master” often stick with one career or
project for many years until they’ve gained all they desire from it, and then
move on to master different occupations. Understanding your type can help you
recognize strengths, get support, and choose work that suits you.
Along with clarifying your core
values, Margaret Lobenstine’s “Renaissance
Focal Point Strategy” recommends choosing a “sampler” of four interests and
then rotating them. For example, you might work on a new business venture,
volunteer to teach reading in your local school, take acting lessons and study
Italian. If you want to, in six months you rotate some of those out and choose
others. That way you’re moving out of indecision and into action, honoring your
renaissance soul, and accomplishing goals. A journal and 3-ring binders can
help you track your numerous ideas and keep your projects organized.
Often all it takes is a shift of
attitude to embrace your renaissance nature. Learn to honor its ways and you
may find that your many talents lead you to a fulfilling, passion-filled life.
Overwhelmed? Finding a path through the dark means taking small steps.
Look in any thesaurus, and the synonyms for overwhelm are pretty awful: overpower, subdue, oppress, quash, engulf, swallow, submerge, bury, suffocate. Groan.
I think everyone has been experiencing ‘overwhelm’. The COVID pandemic made even simple tasks like grocery shopping a fearful and frustrating experience. Whether the overwhelm is sudden or cumulative, chronic or acute, the feeling is one of immobility and powerlessness.
When you feel overwhelmed, tasks that used to take only 10 or 15 minutes feel utterly impossible. When we’re overwhelmed, making dinner becomes a monumental effort, but we can’t go out to our favorite restaurant because they are closed. After a year of everything being stressful we become overwhelmed. The hope that this will pass, people can return to work, children can return to school, has been crushed by months of endless cancellations, closures and conflicting information. We seem hopelessly mired in the quicksand of anxiety and the desire to have some semblance of “normal”.
I have always been a believer in goal setting and each New Year holds promise and I set goals for what I want to accomplish. Last year, two thirds of my goals were completely unattainable on some level. I felt overwhelmed that I could not fulfill even half of my goals. After surviving 2020, I realized that it wasn’t about planning huge projects and ambitious goals, but to setting goals that were personally enriching and satisfying.
Celebrate those small steps along the path.
My biggest revelation was that I wasn’t celebrating any of the accomplishments I had made toward a goal. I was too focused on the final outcome and my ‘too slow’ progress toward that goal.
For me, the key to not feel overwhelmed, is to scale back. I often set expectations for myself that in the long term are not sustainable. All my big goals were waiting and the path to get there seemed like a road under construction, orange barrels and stalled traffic. Until I read the book, Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. In the book the author, BJ Fogg, promotes the idea of setting tiny goals that can be easily accomplished and celebrated. My biggest takeaway was that I wasn’t celebrating any of the accomplishments I had made toward a goal. I was too focused on the final outcome and my too slow progress toward that goal.
I simplified my goals into categories like Health, instead of lose 10 pounds this month. In the Health category I had: Take Vitamins, Drink Water, Walk, Track food . When I accomplish just one thing in that category, I count that as a success. Tiny habits helped me to not feel overwhelmed because I was able to accomplish and celebrate my small steps toward being healthy every day. It was as simple as star on the calendar for each day I completed the tiny habit. It encouraged me to see how many stars I could get in a month and feeling like I wasn’t overwhelmed but, instead smiling at a whole calendar filled with stars.
In the shadows of the COVID pandemic I learned a couple of things. First, is to appreciate the small things in life. The time with family and friends is something I took for granted and now I make time for connecting even if it is a Zoom call. I celebrate my small achievements toward bigger goals and try not to focus on my slow progress. Secondly, I am grateful for the everyday beauty of the world around me. The spectacular sunset or brilliant stars on a cold winter’s night or the silence of falling snow are a moment in time that will repeat but never be the same. I am grateful that I can enjoy them in that moment and I feel at peace, not overwhelmed.
