Elevate your Everyday
During the global COVID pandemic and the monotony of a daily routine with little differentiation from day to day, online meetings have blurred into hours, days and months. And now years. Anyone else struggling to distinguish what week, month or even year something happened in? I used to reference events mentally against a holiday, experience, celebration or adventure that used to break up the year with highlights that I could reference as a timeline. A video call, online drinks and day 221 of lockdown hardly feels memorable, nor does it inspire spending the mental effort recalling. The monotony has blended into beigeness for many. To break up the monotone nature of a year in our current reality, I believe we need to elevate our everyday. To become more present and create moments worth remembering. Moments that top up our soul and remind us to love, laugh and to connect. Moment’s worth remembering.
Moments, memories and magic are what life is all about for me. And it’s not all about the big things in life, although grand adventures certainly are magic. The small things matter. In fact, I firmly believe that they are what life is all about. They are the things that I have missed the most during the global pandemic and am finding ways to safely bring back into my life. Hugs, shared laughter, finding a new coffee spot, walks in nature, sunsets and sunrises, a walk with a happy dog, giving back, feeding the birds, walks on a beach. I could go on, and that is because magical moments are all around us every moment of everyday. We just have to be present to notice, create and celebrate them.
Gratitude helped me remain present daily through the global pandemic as I journaled daily in my Gratitude Attitude journal, reminding me of what really matters and how we can create more of these moments to help us really appreciate the lives we live. We need to find a way to continue to embrace life and its everyday magic, even though at times it may feel a bit more mundane. When that monotony strikes, use your imagination to be creative, count your blessings, revel in the small things, figure out how you can give back or pay it forward to someone less fortunate than yourself and create magic in an everyday moment.
We need to elevate our everyday.
It’s how we show up and become present in the moments, rather than rushing through our day getting sucked deeper into an energy black hole. Smile at a supermarket cashier behind your mask, explore somewhere new, watch the sunset over a cup of tea, tell someone you care, wiggle your toes in the grass and practice gratitude for all that we have in our lives. I recently explored a rejuvenated park in Johannesburg, called The Wilds. Incredible artwork by a local South African artist, James Delany, is dotted about to surprise and delight around every corner, happy walkers and even happier dogs appreciating the sights, sounds and spectacular nature. As a friend and I marvelled at the views over Johannesburg, my legs warm from the climb up the many stairs, I realised I was feeling energised and alive. We’d explored somewhere new, connected over a catch up and ignited a little spark in our souls. This, for me, is elevating my every day. And whilst I may not be able to get into The Wilds (or somewhere similar) everyday, I can bring that feeling into my daily routine. Practice gratitude, savour that early morning coffee on the verandah, get active, phone a friend and tell them you appreciate them. Let’s break up our daily routine with moments, magic and memories that make marking time memorable. Don’t wait for Monday, a weekend or for the pandemic to be over. Let’s elevate our everyday.
Pic credit: Sundial at The Wilds, Johannesburg. Photo: Author’s own.