Motivation Monday
By jacki-dee on Flickr
Some days are harder than others, we all know this. And some days, despite our special efforts and despite our particular attention, it’s all just too much to be bothered with. This isn’t an unusual thing in a fast paced society that moves so quickly that we don’t even realise the day is over until the stars are out.
If you’re a nocturnal person you come alive when those lights are out and suddenly your whole world takes on new hues, colours which are impossible during the day become somehow ordinary by night. I forget sometimes that the beautiful parts of the world are sometimes very ordinary things. A little bit like walking inside after having been in the sun, where your eyes take those extra minutes to adjust to the newly shaded rooms, change can be short but pleasant. Have you changed something about yourself, or your surroundings, that have become ordinary?
Recently I painted my room, and for a while when I walked into the new colour I was surprised. The surprise faded and now when I walk into the room, colour doesn’t register (neither does the mess ;]). I want that old surprise back, I want to walk into my regular room and still feel like I’m somewhere new and different. It might sound kitsh or corny or lame, but flowers are a perfect way of doing this. When I buy flowers, or more economically take them from the garden, I almost immediately forget that I have, they’re such little things with an immediate but not necessarily lasting happiness. What happens though is that whenever I walk into the room the flowers are in I get to stop and look at them, smile and feel the change. I get change without having to change much at all – flowers will last a week or more if you look after them and you can move them around.
You might be thinking right now; Why bother? I can’t give you an answer to that beyond ‘it makes me happy’ and whatever makes you happy, you should do (within reason). If affecting small changes every once in a while improves your mood consistently, there really isn’t a good reason not to do them. Imagine walking in the door after a long day, you dump your keys and bag and sunnies on a table and slouch into the kitchen for a drink and maybe a sandwich and suddenly on the table there is a vase full of chinese orchids. They are vibrant and full of colour. Maybe you only see them for a second, maybe you really want that sandwich – but maybe you’ll stop and look at them and eat at the table rather than standing in front of your laptop. That’s worth it.
I hope you find some change in your life this week. Feel free to pass that on as well – even if it is a sunflower through email or IM, change is good.
