The Beautiful Habit

It’s evening—and I find myself reaching.

Navigating this new way of negotiating the use of my time—looking to make better choices.

My old habit has been to fall prey to the ‘one more thing’ syndrome.

You know….the ‘never put off ’til tomorrow what you can squeeze in today’ type of thinking.

That’s the old me—now offering up the chance to

A) Edit photos of paintings done today
B) Do the video covers for completed painting videos

All before I call it a day.

Because as you know, with this business of life, there is always one more thing you could do. And hey, if you do it now, you might even ‘get a head start on tomorrow’s stuff!’ Right?

But after stepping away from my routine for 6 months (an extended stay in California!) I now see my life and my habits with fresh eyes.
With newfound clarity, I decline the offer from my ‘old self” to do one more thing. And I should add, without even so much as a twinge of remorse!
The new me realizes it’s not time to work.
It’s time to do
beautiful things.

Like read ‘Almost French’—a true-life novel set in Paris
Or spend time dreaming
my dreams.
Take a spin on my bicycle while imagining I’m riding through a small French village.
Look through photo-rich books that inspire.
Take a meandering walk.
Maybe call a sister or a friend.

I continue in the pause
thinking of non-work things. It has taken longer than I’d like to come up with a ‘list’ of deliciously beautiful options. I’m admittedly not in the habit. Can you relate??

I find it curious how quickly a mind can fill a TO DO list with responsibilities and work.
And yet how slowly it is to arrive with a list of what it’s longing to do.

FUNNY HUMANS THAT WE ARE,
THE HABITS WE FORM ARE OFTEN
ANYTHING
BUT THE ACTUAL LIFE
WE LONG TO LIVE.

I sat thinking about these things for a long while. Long enough to realize that at this moment, what I really wanted to do was to write.
And the act of reaching for the beauty yielded a deep sense of satisfaction.

My time away from home here in Paris (6 months gone to California) is still working its magic on me, challenging me to do things differently.
And with every new choice, I am feeling reborn.

I remind myself that there is time for both the work and the beauty.
And that the beauty carries over into the work.

Sending much love and beauty to you today!

Pots with a View
Watercolor Journal—This is a painting we did in Flow Membership. It’s a scene from Volpaia, one of the sweet hilltop villages of Tuscany!

P.S. I have a little challenge for you today—take a piece of paper and jot down a TO DO list of simple beauties. Pick one and do it before the day is done. Let me know how it goes by leaving a comment below 🙂