One day I sat down to make a list of some of the things that make my life feel rich and full. There were very few things on the list that I didn’t already have and appreciate. But one item on my list was to buy fresh flowers regularly. For me, buying flowers had fallen into the category of money frittered away since flowers soon die leaving nothing to show for the money spent.
 
So buying flowers and having them around my home is a sign to me of my prosperity and luscious living, a sign that I have enough money that I don’t have to concern myself with such a small expense. With that exercise, I realized how very little is often required to feel rich and prosperous. Very often the problem lies in not identifying what gives us that delightful sense of joy, because we can be too busy to look.

If you were to create your own list of delights, it may not include buying flowers. Beautiful music, pleasing colours, pretty things give most of us a lot of pleasure, and surrounding ourselves with these delights makes life so much more lovely.
 
Our surrounding have a powerful impact on how we relate to other things in life. So it is important to fill our surroundings with objects that lift the spirit and soothe the soul.
 
Surrounding yourself with beautiful things is an act of self-care. When you treat yourself well, you are acknowledging that how important you are. You are one of a kind and very special. Take the time and care to add more beauty to your life to give your own soul delight.

Ask yourself if your home gives you pleasure to be in? Is your bedroom an expression of your beautiful self? If not, then take the time to identify those things that need to be removed, replaced, or revitalized. Adding beauty to your surroundings it can be as simple as placing a violet on your kitchen windowsill, to as elaborate as redecorating your whole house.
 
Whatever you choose, remember that our souls are nourished by beauty, so if you want a well-nourished and satisfied soul, be sure to surround yourself with more of it.

I had this thought: What if I did nothing at all today?

What if I didn’t strive for anything? What if I let myself off the hook?

I’m not saying I want to simply be lazy.
But…what would it be like not to feel driven? To get quiet and be led instead?

If I look around me, all I see has been provided one way or another, yet, I spend so much time and create so much disquiet trying to provide for myself. Don’t you? And trying to prove something that doesn’t need to be proven.

The world tells you that you have to hustle all the time.

Life can sometimes feel like walking down the street and having everyone shouting at you, demanding something from you, trying to get you to look this way, buy this, trying to convince you that only this thing will change your life - That there is only one way to succeed, and right now, you have to sign up, enter your credit card number, hurry, before it’s too late.

Please know, there is nothing whatsoever wrong with commerce. We all need to make a living and work is important.

But what if you and I were to turn the sound down for a day?

What if we sat in the sun and read a book for an hour, not talking?

Would the something terrible happen? Not likely. But I would have more peace today.
 
I have a passion for silence.

Sound is something we don’t really notice most of the time.

A neighbour starts his car and drives past, muffler growling.

A siren sounds in the distance. I pray for safety and healing for whomever is involved.

A small plane goes overhead, the sound of its engines reaching a crescendo before fading into the far distance.

Without silence or quiet, our souls become agitated in ways we can’t even recognize. How can you listen to the still, small voice in your heart, when noise is all around? It is possible, if you are tuned into it, but it takes practice to learn how to hear God.
 
I live in a quiet small town, in a quiet neighbourhood. When I go to the city, while it is fun and exciting, by the end of the day, I can’t wait to get home to the relative stillness.
Being still allows me to notice things that otherwise are missed in the hurry and striving and noise that fills most days.

Being still gives me the time to be thankful for the good things in my life. Do you know that every good and perfect thing in your life ultimately has come from God?
 
Listen to this verse from the Bible: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

No variableness means no here today, gone tomorrow. No wishy-washy. No turning away from giving good and perfect gifts, not even a shadow of it.
 
When I take the time to sit in stillness, the beauty around me becomes more evident. I see better, the good and perfect things in my life.

Some of those gifts are physical, like health and ability. Some are material—a car to drive, a home, nice clothes. Some are mental—peace of mind, clear thinking.
And many are spiritual - knowing that God loves me, and that he always provides for me.
 
I am also thankful for the talent God has given me, and thankful that I have been able to develop my skills in art and watercolour, and with words, so I have the opportunity to bless others with beautiful things from my hands.

Of course, I sell things featuring my art in my store because I too have bills to pay. But ultimately, I believe that making life pretty is an admirable goal as it makes life better. Beauty lifts the spirit and soothes the mind.

I hope you take the time to visit my store at Summer Bay Studio.com. It’s full of pretty things featuring my watercolour art.
 
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