The Best Things In Life Are Free

TGIF!  I am glad that the week is drawing to a close.  It’s been a busy, crazy, hectic week.  They all seem to be like that, though. I am reminded when life gets crazy that sometimes the best things in life are free.

Things like:

Blooming flowers

Blue Skies & Sunshine in San Diego

Skylar’s smile

Walks on the beach together

 

Laughter and recent meetups with friends, Here and Here

I like this little passage.  Maybe you’ll like it, too. 

Eight Gifts That Do Not Cost A Cent (Author Unknown)

1. THE GIFT OF LISTENING…

But you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.

2. THE GIFT OF AFFECTION…

Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and holds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.

3. THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER…

Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, “I love to laugh with you.”

4. THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE…

It can be a simple “Thanks for the help” note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.

5. THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT…

A simple and sincere, “You look great in red,” “You did a super job” or “That was a wonderful meal” can make someone’s day.

6. THE GIFT OF A FAVOR…

Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.

7. THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE…

There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.

8. THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION…

The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone, really it’s not that hard to say, Hello or Thank You.

 

Moving on…

Time to think about a snack.

Maybe Kale Chips are your idea of snacking

Or how about No-Bake Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars

Vegan Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chex Mix, i.e. Puppy Chow (No-Bake, Vegan, GF) makes a highly addictive great snack

From my last post about Photo Editing: Before & After, Truths & Trickery, thanks for all the wonderful feedback and your thoughts about the future of photography.  Many of you said that you believe that photography as we once knew it is gone and that everything now is generally manipulated to some extent.

And thanks for the great comments and your thoughts about photo editing, airbrushing, photoshopping, and such as it pertains to celebrities in magazines or in online photos.  Many of you do feel tricked by what you see.  As I said in the post, it takes really having your head on straight and some maturity to realize that the images we see of women in magazines and in the media are not what those women really look like in their real life.  We know this intellectually, but it’s hard to wrap our emotional headspace around it, and fully internalize it.

Thanks for the awesome feedback on the post and thanks to new readers and de-lurkers for chiming in.

Moving on to a Snack/Dessert: No Bake Peanut Butter Vanilla Balls (you can use Almond, Sunflower Seed, or Cashew Butter in them, too)

Questions:

1. Do you think that sometimes the best things in life are free?  What free things in life do you love?

Don’t worry, I know that money is important and we can’t pay our electric bill with smiles and walks on the beach.  I have always said, life is easier with money than without.

But money isn’t everything and it can’t buy and sustain long term happiness, not for me anyway.

So when life gets busy, hectic, chaotic and I am rushing around like a maniac, it’s good for me to stop and smell the roses, look at the bright blue sunny skies, hug Skylar and just watch her smile.  That’s how I decompress, ground myself, and sustain a sense of internal joy.

However, I’m not a Saint.  I admit, buying things on This List or This List would be fun, too. And those things sure aren’t free!

Also my post on Being Grateful & Thankful and remembering to take time to appreciate what we do have, most of which are free things or things that cost nothing, is a good reminder when life gets crazy.

2. Did any of the 1 – 8 items in the passage I posted jump out at you?

For me, #5 compliments!  It doesn’t cost anything to compliment someone.  I wish women wouldn’t be so stingy with complimenting each other. It’s amazing how good you can make someone else feel, and in turn yourself when you see how happy you made the person, by just having something complimentary to someone.  Not fake, of course, but just throw them a little compliment.  And watch their joy. 

Also #7 solitude.  Oh, I need my solitude and alone time and that is probably one of the best free gifts, ever!

3. Weekend plans?

I’m working, spending time with Skylar, running errands, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, working out, you know, just chillin’ and eating bon-bons on the couch.