Finding Big Joy In The Little Things

This tiny little Buddha brings me big joy several times a day. He hangs around (literally) on the mirror by our back door where I keep my car keys. 

His impish smile and peaceful pose give me an instant happiness boost as I come and go from home. He was the ideal candidate to share on the final day of my #100 Happy Days challenge. 

Click here to see the pinterest board I created to share the fun variety of people, places and things that made me happy over the course of 100 days. You'll notice that I actually posted 103 photos. This is because I'm a creative rebel and math is not my best subject.

In the coming week, what if you stay on the look out for little things that can bring you big creative joy?

For example, yesterday while getting dressed for a trip to the museum with my family I played with putting together new creative combinations of jewelry. 

News flash! Even the simple act of choosing which clothes and jewelry to wear can add creative fun and fulfillment to your day.

If you let yourself think outside the usual creative outlets of things like art, music and crafts what other little ways might you experience creative joy in the coming week?

Light candles for your dinner table? Listen to music and dance while you clean house? Try a new recipe? Set out some shells you've collected on a beach trip in a pretty bowl? What sounds good to you? 

This photo of a bowl filled with some of my favorite beach shells was day 99 of my #100 Happy Days experience. Even looking at the photo now is a little thing that brings me big joy.

Here's to finding big joy in little creative experiences in the coming week!

If you'd like to share a little something that brings you big joy in the comments below that would be lovely! 

Until next time, all the best from my Creative Oasis to yours,

Jill

P.S. ~ If you enjoyed this post please share on Facebook and twitter using the buttons below!  If you'd like to receive bite-size bonbons of creative inspiration like this Mid-Week Oasis Moments plus a free copy of my e-book "Permission to Be Creative 101" join me here: http://www.creativeoasiscoaching.com/newsletter.html.

May Your Heart Shine Like a Peace Sign

I took this photo of our vintage marquee peace sign for Day 30 of my #100HappyDays challenge.

The idea behind the #100HappyDays challenge is simple and inspiring and that's why I love it so much! 

Each day I get to take a photo of something that makes me happy and post it. Easy-peasy! (Click here to visit my #100HappyDays pinterest board to see the crazy variety of things that have made me happy over the last several weeks.)

The purpose of the challenge is to help people realize that it doesn't take a lot of time to be happy.

As a result of #100HappyDays I'm focused on seeing something good in my life at least once a day. Even the simplest things like a fluffed up bird sitting in a tree or the fact that tasty orange cuties are in season bring me happiness. Focusing on what brings joy to my life, even for the few moments it takes to snap a photo and post it, also brings me peace.

This aligns so nicely with my philosophy that even small amounts of time spend enjoying your Creative Oasis (whatever makes your heart sing and time fly) is time well-spent! 

This is the time of year we often hear the message "Peace on earth ~ good will toward men." Ironically, it's also the time of year that can stress us out so much we end up spending much of the time feeling quite the opposite of peaceful! 

So, what can we do about that? How can we experience more feelings of peace during the Christmas holidays?

When we make our own self-care a priority that helps us handle all of the relationships and responsibilities in our lives with more grace, ease and joy. This in turn helps the people in our lives to also experience more happiness, grace and peace. And so on...and so on...and so on. (If you're of a certain age please pardon the shampoo commercial reference.)

As the Christmas season begins, I invite you to choose an easy-to-do, soul-satisfying, peace-inducing creative challenge of your own. Here are a few ideas to help you begin...

~ Join me for the #100HappyDays challenge 

(www.100happydays.com)

~ Choose one thing you're grateful for each day in December and

write it in your journal, post it on Facebook or simply keep it in your heart

~ Ask yourself "What's one easy way I can help myself feel peaceful today?" 

(*Hint ~ it could be as simple as taking a few nice deep breaths.)

~ Enjoy 5 minutes of "I Get To" creative time 

(Easy ideas: doodling, coloring in a mandala, writing a haiku, stringing popcorn & cranberries)

I wish you many peaceful moments and a season filled with lots of love, laughter and light ~ especially the kind that makes your heart shine like a big ol' peace sign!

All the best from my Creative Oasis to yours,

Jill

Jill Allison Bryan

www.creativeoasiscoaching.com

P.S. ~ When I began playing with words to add to my peace sign photo for this post, I was delighted to realize that the "earth and heart" are anagrams. This felt like a special heemeesheemee to me. (*Heemeesheemee ~ my word for a serendipitous occurrence.)